Transformers: Solaris
by PBWritesStuff
Summary: The Decepticons have repaired an ancient Cybertronian scouting vessel named the Solaris, and are using it to convert power from Earth's sun into energon. As the Autobots board the ship to stop Megatron and his army, a freak accident sends the ship into uncharted space. Can two opposing armies share a tiny vessel long enough to return home? Just a soap-opera thing I wrote for fun.
1. The Solaris

Summary: The Decepticons have discovered and repaired an ancient Cybertronian scouting vessel named the Solaris, and are using it's solar generators to convert power from Earth's sun into energon. This makes the yellow star unstable, and as the Autobots board the ship to stop Megatron and his army, a freak accident sends the ship into uncharted space. Can two opposing armies share a tiny vessel long enough to return home?

. . .

It was a cut and dry mission. Still, Thundercracker had a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Hey, hand me a wrench, Screamer." he called over his shoulder. A wrench was handed back, and the seeker was surprised that there was no sarcastic retort from Starscream. He didn't like being relegated to assistant mechanic, but Thundercracker was the only one with knowledge of the ship, and his trine was helping out.

"Yo, Starscream, you okay?" Skywarp asked, waving a hand before Starscream's dazed optics.

"Of course I am, you dolt! I was just lost in thought. Plotting, that is."

Now THAT was a typical Starscream response.

"Say, TC, when is this hunk of junk gonna be finished?"

"Gah!" Thundercracker cried out as he hit his hand with the flame from his welder. "Ugh. It would be finished faster, if I wasn't being distracted. Anyway, this isn't just junk, okay? This is a B class Cybertronian Scouter Craft. It was designed by seekers, for energon hunting."

"Impressive." Starscream muttered, and Skywarp shrugged.

"B class or whatever doesn't matter. Will it fly?"

"Oh she'll fly alright. Wherever Megatron wants to take her." Thundercracker ran a hand along the chassis gently, and Skywarp decided not to ask when "it" had become a "she".

. . .

"So Bumblebee..." Spike looked up at the little robot. Even one of the smallest Autobots was still much taller than an adult human, and Spike was even taller than most.

"What is it?" the yellow bot asked, as they sat on a grassy hill. Spike cradled the black velvet box like a child, and kept opening it to look at the piece of jewelry inside.

"Do you think Carly will say yes?"

"Huh?" Bumblebee tilted his head to the side. "I understand that offering this ring is a human custom, but if she really loves you, it won't matter if she likes the stone or not."

The yellow mech chuckled as he leaned back on the grass.

"She'd probably marry you if you gave her a lug nut."

Spike laughed at that and closed the box, only to open it up again a few minutes later. Bee wondered if this was normal behavior for humans. His thoughts were broken by the crackle of a radio.

"Bumblebee, come back to the base. We've got a problem!" Ratchet's voice broke through the static, and Bee shrugged.

"Do you need a ride home, Spike?"

"Nah," the male human answered, looking down again at the box in his hands. "I can make it on my own. You don't need my help, do you?"

Bumblebee shook his head.

"It's just the Decepticons. I'll see you tomorrow, Spike!"

. . .

The newly improved Solaris was true to design, and launched beautifully. Settling into orbit across from the sun, the ship began to do what it was made for: siphoning energy from a sun, and converting it to fuel and energon.

"Wonderful." Megatron crooned from the control panel. "The ship is not only converting all the energon we need, but with this fuel supply, we should be able to make it back to Cybertron in one trip!"

"Caution..." Soundwave muttered from the copilot's seat. "Our energy siphoning is causing the sun to become unstable. We must leave before it goes supernova."

"Noted." Megatron said as he monitored the energon intake readings.

"Perimeter warning." Soundwave said as he opened his chest and retrieved Laserbeak. "It seems the Autobots have arrived, Megatron."

"While I had hoped they weren't going to follow us, I prepared for just such an eventuality." He turned to the radio, and sent out his orders. "Starscream, take your seekers and intercept the Autobots before they arrive."

"I will send Ravage and Frenzy to guard the loading dock."

"Good idea." Megatron nodded, and kept his optics on the monitors.

He watched as the trine transformed in the loading dock, and flew out of the back of the ship, opening fire on Skyfire, who had ferried the Autobots to the ship in his alt-mode. Despite their efforts, Skyfire made it to the ship, and Megatron decided to head down to the loading dock to lend a hand. His fusion cannon or alt-mode might make or break a battle like this.

Jazz, Bumblebee, Optimus, and Ratchet emerged from Skyfire's hatch, and opened fire on the cassettes. When Skyfire transformed with a pained groan, Ratchet left the fire fight to tend to his injuries. By this time, the seekers had returned, and transformed, guns blazing.

"Starscream!" Megatron called out, and transformed. Starscream caught him, and aimed the gun at their enemies.

Thundercracker and Skywarp aimed their attacks at Skyfire, who was only lightly injured by the crash. Jazz and Optimus tried to avoid being victims of Megatron's deadly aim, and Frenzy's chaotic Ravage retreated, injured, to the control room, he was followed by Ratchet.

"Oh my. What a nice little setup you have here." The medic purred, flicking the switch that halted the energy conversion. "I'm afraid I have to cut the party short though!"

"Intruder!" Soundwave hissed. Even injured, Ravage was ready to protect his master, and slammed into Ratchet, knocking him back into the control panel. Unknowingly, Ratchet hit several buttons, and then a lever. With a roar of energy, the occupants of the Solaris found that they were now drifting in dead space.

Back in the loading dock, Megatron transformed, and grabbed Bumblebee, holding his fusion cannon against the Autobot's head.

"Ceasefire!" He called out, and everyone in the room froze. Decepticons ceased fire because they knew their leader's tone, and the Autobots stopped because Bee was a hostage. Even Starscream reluctantly agreed to a temporary truce.

"Something has happened." Optimus noted, and Megatron agreed.

"Yes. We aren't in proximity to Earth's sun any longer." He released Bumblebee and powered down his cannon. "I propose a truce, at least until we figure out what happened."

Everyone made their way to the control room, where they saw Ratchet being restrained by Laserbeak, Ravage, and Rumble. Frenzy transformed and returned to Soundwave's tape deck.

"Megatron..." Soundwave began in an uncharacteristically shaky voice. "That idiot fell onto the controls. He somehow activated the space warp system, and sent us to unknown coordinates!"

"Not true!" Ratchet exclaimed. "Your mangy mutt knocked me into the controls! If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have fallen!"

"Stand down." Megatron ordered, and the cassettes returned to Soundwave. "There seems to be a simple solution. Can't we just use the same system to return to Earth?"

"I can't..." Soundwave muttered. "The last warp used all of our fuel."

"This ship runs on solar energy, right? Let's just find the nearest star and fill back up." Skyfire suggested.

"We... aren't near any solar system. The nearest one is several years away, and we are headed the wrong direction." Soundwave sounded like he was ready to pass out.

"What sort of solar-powered ship has the capability to be sent to coordinates without a solar system!?" Starscream cried out, and Thundercracker gulped.

"Er, actually, that was the main reason the B class Scouter Craft was decommissioned..."

"So basically..." Optimus sighed. "We are trapped on this ship together... indefinitely."


	2. Taking Stock

Summary: Ratchet does some math and devises a plan of action. The Autobots and Decepticons decide who is bunking with whom, and settle in. Chapter also features a staple of Transformers lore: totally made up bullshit science.

. . .

"Well, Soundwave gave me access to the maps, and I did the math. I think that if we use the last of our fuel to point us in the direction of the nearest solar system, we'll have enough energon to survive the trip." Ratchet reported his findings, and Optimus Prime looked torn.

"It's a long shot, but we don't really have any choice, do we?" The Autobot leader sighed.

"We could jettison the dead weight, and lighten our load." Starscream smirked, and Megatron shot him a disapproving glare.

"If that were the case, I'd start with you, Starscream." Megatron's jab was met with an indignant huff.

"If you even so much as try it, I'm vaporizing this ship, and taking you jerks with me." Jazz growled, and it seemed he was able to make good on his promise.

"It would seem we are at an impasse." Megatron sighed.

"This ship isn't big enough for all of us, but we have to try and make it work." Skyfire suggested.

"There are nine of us here, and only five crew quarters. We'll have to double up." Thundercracker pointed out.

"Well I can bunk with my trinemate." Skywarp said, moving to stand with the other seeker.

"You wanna hang with me, little dude?" Jazz turned to Bumblebee, who shrugged.

"Sure, why not." The yellow mech replied.

"I'll bunk with you then, old friend." Optimus nodded to Ratchet.

"Starscream, you're with me." Megatron stated firmly.

"What if I refuse?" The air commander pouted, not because he actually cared, but because of the principle of the thing. He wouldn't be told what to do.

"We're the only two left, Starscream." The silver mech groaned.

"True statement." Soundwave noted. "I must have a room to myself for my underlings."

"And I couldn't fit in one of those quarters if I tried. I'll recharge in here." Skyfire smiled, gesturing to the hangar.

"It's settled then. I propose we all take half-energon rations for now. As long was we don't expend unnecessary energy, we should be alright." Optimus announced.

"Since when do you get to decide the rations?" Megatron growled, glaring at Prime.

"I don't see _you_ coming up with suggestions!" Jazz exclaimed.

"As long as we have a truce, I should have just as much say in the running of this ship as he does!" Megatron shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Optimus.

"Fine then." Ratchet glared. "What do _you_ suggest?"

"There's a trick I learned on Cybertron." Megatron said in a low voice. "If you dilute the energon with certain gases, it lasts longer, and makes you feel almost as charged as you would if you had taken full rations."

"That's... not a bad idea." The Autobot medic admitted, thinking. "Do we have enough of a supply to last us?"

"I've already sent Laserbeak to the cargo bay to check. It seems the old seekers kept this ship stocked with the components we'll need."

"The ship was stocked with Silicon Flare Oil. When I heat that under an ultraviolet light, it evaporates into Sa4, the gas we need to dilute energon." Starscream added, proudly.

"How can we trust a slimy bot like you?" Bumblebee frowned at the seeker.

"I was the pride of the science academy, only one year from graduation, when I left to become a warrior!" Starscream hissed in response, and Skyfire stepped between them before the situation turned violent.

"I actually know about the process Starscream means to attempt, and I believe it would work." the large Autobot said confidently.

"If Skyfire trusts him, that's good enough for me." Optimus smiled.

"If we are to live here together, for the time it takes to reach the next solar system, we must try to get along." Skyfire said calmly.

The new crew of the CSC Solaris grumbled their agreement.

. . .

Optimus Prime was relaxing in his berth, when there was a knock on his door.

"Come in." He called, and the door opened, to reveal Bumblebee. Optimus sat up, and patted the space beside him on the berth. "What do you need, Bumblebee?"

"I was just worrying about something." The yellow mech's optics dimmed. "Do you think we stopped the process in time to save Earth?"

"You mean the energy siphoning? Yes, I believe we did." Optimus nodded, and searched his soldier's face for signs of relief. "You're still worried though."

"Before we left, Spike was telling me about how he wanted to propose to Carly."

"Propose?" Prime asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Yeah, it's something humans do, a promise of spark bonding, like how Cybertronians offer a gift to the mech they want to share their spark with."

"Ah." Optimus nodded, ever perceptive. "And you think that because we disappeared, he might not go through with it."

"Right." Bumblebee frowned. "Spike said he wanted me to be his 'best man'. It's an important place of honor in the human ritual of marriage. I hope my absence doesn't keep him from it."

"I don't think it will." Optimus said. "I don't know much about human rituals, but I do know that Spike loves Carly, and wants to be with her. Our absence won't change that."

Bumblebee nodded, finally reassured. He glanced up at Optimus.

"Do you ever think about it? Settling down one day, and having sparklings of your own?"

"I used to." Optimus sighed. "But none of us can bring little ones into the world with Cybertron in stasis. Until we revive our home planet, I doubt I will be bonding with anyone."

"I used to think that too. Being among the humans has made me see everything in a new light." Bumblebee smiled. "Even in the face of disaster, they still find time to love. I wish Spike the best."

. . .

Across the ship, Starscream was examining the crew quarters. He didn't like what he found, and voiced his opinions. Loudly.

"Ugh. There's dust everywhere." the seeker groaned.

"Well we didn't exactly plan to use the quarters, did we? It was just supposed to be a quick trip to Cybertron using the warp function, and then right back."

"I suppose one good thing came out of this fiasco." Starsccream muttered.

"And what would that be?" The silver mech asked, already hating the answer.

"These close quarters give me a better chance to kill you, and assume control of the Decepticons." Starscream smirked.

"Your first mistake was blurting out your master plan." Megatron noted sarcastically. He continued, leaning close, before Starscream could reply. "Your second mistake was assuming I didn't have plans of my own, for our surprise vacation."

And then the leader of the Decepticons leaned forward, and pressed his lips to Starscream's mouth, silencing his sharp tongue as effectively as a null ray. The seeker's optics widened, then half-closed as his cooling fans started up. The thought of the things they could do together with all this time was a cheerful thought.

"I think I needed a break." Starscream whispered, as they pulled apart.

. . .

"Did you notice that Screamer seemed a little off, this morning?" Thundercracker frowned.

"Yeah. Usually wrenches get thrown, when you ask for them." Skywarp nodded. "What do you think is up with that?"

Thundercracker leaned back in the berth, while Skywarp paced, full of nervous energy.

"I dunno, but _I'm_ gonna scream if you keep pacing like that."

"I can't help it. I have to get used to staying away from my warping power."

"Why?" The blue seeker asked, suddenly curious. "I know warping takes a lot of extra energy, but we don't go on the diluted rations until tomorrow."

"It's not just that..." Skywarp muttered. "When the ship jumped to these coordinates, it felt like déjà vu, and it's been bugging me all morning. I just now realized why it bothered me so much. This ship warps the same way I do."

"You don't think..." Thundercracker trailed off quietly.

"That the old Cybertronians ripped a warp junction out of a seeker and fused it into this ship? Maybe." Skywarp shuddered. "I'd rather not find out."

"It's worth looking into..." Thundercracker said, mostly to himself.

"Uh, no? It isn't? Didn't you just hear what I said? I don't know, and I don't wanna know." Skywarp protested, but he knew the expression Thundercracker had on his faceplates. He put his soul into fixing this ship, and no creepy mysteries could be hidden from him.

. . .

Ratchet hummed a cheerful song as he unloaded his ambulance, and with a few items taken from the cargo hold, set up a temporary med-bay in the hangar. A day ago, he had questioned Prime's choice to include him on the boarding party, but now he was glad to have come along. After all, what if something happened, and someone needed a medic? Speaking of that...

"Hey Skyfire! Care to be my first patient?"

"Ratchet, I've seen you cure many mechs in my brief time as an Autobot. I would hardly be the first." Skyfire noted, with a confused expression.

"I meant my first patient in _this_ ramshackle operation." Ratchet clarified with a smile.

"Oh... While I appreciate the thought, I just have minor injuries from the battle. I wouldn't want you to waste supplies on such small wounds."

"Nonsense! I have plenty, and I doubt I'll actually have much of a need for them. You might as well help my boredom at least."

Skyfire acquiesced, and Ratchet looked him over. He was true to his word, and the energy burns on his wing were easily mended. The medic cleaned the wound with a surface anesthetic. He then took a sheet of fine metal gauze, and squeezed on a bit of medicine. It was a cream of his own invention, that conducted electrical currents to knit together scratches and help Cybertronians heal more quickly. After tying the gauze to the wing, Ratchet declared that he was finished, and Skyfire patted the bandage appreciatively.

It wasn't deep, and it didn't really hurt, but he saw that the medic was happy when helping others, and as a scientist, he was intrigued by the steroid cream.

"You invented that stuff, didn't you?" Skyfire asked with a grin.

"I did indeed. I was inspired after hearing Spike talk about a cream that helped humans heal faster. There are two components. First, the cream conducts and amplifies the electrical currents that starts the cybertronian healing process. Next, it provides a hospitable environment for the nanobots that heal us, to thrive and work faster. Not unlike human blood cells."

"Fascinating..." Skyfire exclaimed, examining the tube in Ratchet's hand with curiosity.

"Indeed! One good thing about this extended adventure, is that I have a chance to develop some projects I've had in mind for a while."

"If you don't mind, Ratchet, I would like to assist you." Skyfire smiled brightly. It had been a long time since he could just relax and be a scientist. If he could keep from seeing Starscream, this mission might even be fun.


	3. Connections

Summary: The Navigation has gone out. Not only is the Solaris flying on empty, it's now flying blind. Meanwhile Skyfire and Starscream work on the energon rationing project, and avoid talking to each other. Skywarp and Thundercracker have another encounter with the warp anomaly and it creeps them out. Jazz is also creeped out, but for different reasons entirely.

. . .

"Optimus! Optimus! Wake up! It's an emergency!"

The voice of Ratchet broke through Optimus' dreams, and he sat up with a groan.

"Optimus! The navigation has gone out!"

"What?" the Autobot leader asked blearily. Soon he had his answer. Ratchet led the way to the control room, where Megatron and Soundwave already sat before the controls.

"I would wish you a 'good morning', Prime, but it's hardly morning, and not a good one at that. Soundwave says that last night, the

ship's navigation system died."

"I should have expected this. This craft is millions of years old. Even the old Cybertronians didn't make things to last that long." Soundwave sighed, disappointed.

"Ratchet, you already set our course, right?"

"Right, Optimus. We agreed to head for the nearest solar system."

"Then barring any collisions that might knock us off course, we don't really need the navigation." Optimus observed.

"And if there were such an incident, I could calculate our proper trajectory." Soundwave added. "We could spare some energon to power another burst of speed if we had to."

"I wasn't really worried about the navigation, but the incident as a whole disturbs me." Optimus frowned, then directed his next question to Megatron. "Will this vessel survive a trip back to Earth?"

"We can only hope." The Decepticon leader said grimly.

"If we have to, we could always utilize some of the stores of energon." Ratchet noted.

"If _you_ didn't stop the conversion process, we'd have enough energon to restore Cybertron _and_ make a return trip." Megatron growled.

"You can't return to a star gone supernova!" Ratchet insisted. Optimus frowned behind his mask. If he didn't intervene soon, the two mechs might explode as easily as the sun almost did.

"I wouldn't have left troops behind if I wasn't confident the star would stabilize itself before our return!" Megatron snarled at the medic, and Prime chose that moment to step in.

"Stop! Both of you!" Optimus called out. "Even if the star stabilized, your energy conversion would have lessened the lifespan of the humans' sun by millions of years!" He jabbed an accusing finger at Megatron. The silver mech leaned back from the accusation with a smug grin.

"And that is the difference between you and I," Megatron hissed. "You would sacrifice our home, the world you swore to protect, for this pitiful Earth."

"A world of intelligent lifeforms, who love and create, just as we do!" Optimus practically whispered, recalling his friends on the little blue orb.

"Lifeforms who appreciate your help so much they pollute their oceans and atmosphere? Trust me Prime, they can destroy their planet, even without our help." Megatron delivered his final retort, and turned his back on the two Autobots.

"I'm done with this conversation. Soundwave!" the silver mech called over his shoulder, and the Decepticon turned to follow him.

. . .

"How is it coming along, Starscream?" Skyfire asked amiably as the Air Commander heated a beaker of bubbling liquid under an ultraviolet light, before catching the resulting steam in a condenser, where it turned to liquid.

"It's fine." Starscream hissed. "I don't even need your help. This used to be a science vessel after all, it has all the supplies I need."

"I know." Skyfire stated calmly. "You're the last mech who needs _my_ help. Still, I have to keep an eye out."

"An eye?" Starscream muttered. "What, do you think I plan to poison you all and take control of the ship for myself, returning to Earth as leader of the Decepticons?"

"Well, no..." Skyfire trailed off. "I think some of my teammates do though, so I have a duty to watch out for them, even if their fears are unfounded."

"Besides." Skyfire smirked at the Decepticon. "You can't go back to Earth without Soundwave, because he's the only one who can operate the ship. And you can't kill Megatron, because Soundwave wouldn't allow it. You wouldn't kill your trinemates either."

"You know me well, Skyfire." Starscream conceded. "But what's to stop me from poisoning all the Autobots? Including you?"

"I do not think Megatron would allow it. He would be jealous he hadn't thought of the plan himself."

"Not to mention, he'd kill ME for ending Optimus Prime. He wants to have that pleasure for himself." Starscream muttered. "See, I can't feasibly murder _anyone_ on this blasted ship."

"You never used to be so bloodthirsty, but you were always ambitious, Starscream." The tall mech laughed. "I never heard of anyone so flustered because they couldn't commit murder."

"You've never met Air Commander Starscream."

"Whatever happened to Doctor Starscream, the scientist?" Skyfire asked earnestly. The seeker's optics narrowed.

"I don't want to talk about this. Stay and be a spy, or leave me be. Either way, I'm done talking." Starscream hissed, and made a point by fiddling with his beakers and condensers and energon cubes. It almost worked too, if the seeker's cranial ache didn't suddenly turn into a pulsing current of fear.

"Gah!" Starscream exclaimed suddenly, before planting a hand firmly on his helm.

"What is it!?" Skyfire called out as Starscream dropped to his knees, wings flaring out defensively. The large Autobot offered a hand, but Starscream batted it away, and shifted into alt-mode.

"It's my trine. Something's happening. Take over the operation, Skyfire." The air commander ordered in chopped sentences, before literally flying away down the hall.

Skyfire knew that it was a big deal for Starscream to trust him with their energon rations, but he wondered what fact it proved: that the seeker still trusted him, or that he cared more about his trine than any coup or betrayal?

. . .

Skywarp awoke in a cold sweat. Thundercracker bolted up as well, feeling the effects of fear through the trine bond. Somewhere, across the ship, Starscream felt it too.

"What the frag happened, Warp?" Thundercracker asked, worried.

"I knew it, TC. I knew this damn ship was haunted."

"What happened?"

"I had a dream." Skywarp muttered, shaking like a leaf. "There was this robot, a female seeker. She was crying, like she needed help!"

"It was just a dream, Skywarp. You were worried about the warping thing, and you had a scary dream about it, that's all." The seeker leaned forward in the dark, and planted a kiss on Skywarp's neck.

"Try to relax, okay?" He added, quietly, and felt Skywarp relax a bit.

"I- I'll try... But only cause you asked me to." Skywarp muttered, lying back down on the berth. Thundercracker wrapped a warm arm around him, and nuzzled closer.

"See? Isn't that better?" he crooned, and Skywarp pressed his body against his trinemate's chassis.

"You know, it's been a long time since Starscream shared our berth." Warp whispered in the darkness.

"I know. We should invite him over some time. I miss his sarcastic remarks."

"Unlock the door, you idiots!" Starscream's frantic yell echoed from the hallway.

"I can still hear him yelling at us." Skywarp commented.

"I think that's actually him, Warp!" Thundercracker exclaimed, rushing to open the door.

"What happened to you?" Starscream asked as he rushed into the room, hugging Thundercracker and Skywarp in turn.

"I had a seriously creepy dream." Skywarp muttered.

"A dream. You called me away from important work for a nightmare?" Starscream exclaimed indignantly.

"It's a bit more complicated than that. Warp is convinced that this ship uses the same warp junction as he does, and it's really getting to him."

"I see." Starscream frowned, and thought for a moment. "Personally, I think it's all nonsense, but I can see how much it means to you two. Maybe I can get someone to look into it."

"Thanks Screamer. I hope I can get to the bottom of this before it drives Warp crazy." Thundercracker sighed.

"Hey!" The other seeker protested.

"I can't make any promises though." Starscream added. "Everyone is tied up in their own personal projects right now."

. . .

Jazz was more of an introvert than he seemed. He could be the life of the party when such a party needed it, but sometimes it was good to just relax with his music in a private place. Unfortunately for him, the Solaris was running short on private places. If he stayed in his berth, Bumblebee would undoubtedly try to engage him in conversation, so Jazz set out to find a nice corner to sit back in.

There was the conference room, but a quick listen at the door told Jazz that it was occupied. The hangar had been taken over by Ratchet and Skyfire at the moment, so that was out. Next, Jazz peeked into the control room, and saw that it was empty. He hoped Soundwave wouldn't mind him poking around. The chairs were nice, and Jazz sunk into one with a happy sigh.

He flipped through the collection of cassette tapes that Spike had given him, and found one of his favorites, a collection of songs by Louis Armstrong. Ever since crashing on Earth, Jazz had developed a taste for popular music. He liked everything that was subversive in its time, and some tunes that still were. Among genre though, his favorite was the music that matched his name, Jazz.

There was no tape deck in the ship, obviously, but Jazz noticed a jack that he could use to amplify the sound of his own speakers. And so, he finally found his happy place. The sounds of Louis Armstrong filtered lightly through the control room, and Jazz leaned back, enjoying the familiar sounds of Earth. It wasn't until halfway through The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea that he noticed something was off. Even with his optics offline, feet propped up, Jazz felt a pair of optics burning into his back. He turned off the music, and slowly turned, swiveling the captain's chair, to see a familiar mech in the doorway. Even expecting it, he still jumped.

"No offense, but you give me the heebie jeebies." He shuddered as Soundwave looked on expressionlessly. "Uh... need something, Decepticon cat...?" He offered. With that mask, it was hard to tell what the tall purple mech was thinking.

"Why do you refer to me as the Earth creature 'cat'?" Soundwave asked earnestly.

"Uh, well it's just a human thing. It means you're cool, you know? Hip." Jazz offered, feeling less hip and cool by the second.

"... My temperature is well regulated, Jazz."

The Autobot was surprised that Soundwave knew his name. He was even more surprised that the mech with the facemask was even indulging him.

"What were you listening to? It was of very poor sound quality. Still... the rhythm and arrangement was intriguing."

Jazz plugged in again, and the sounds of the song lilted through the room once more.

"This is by a human artist named Louis Armstrong. The quality's bad 'cause it was first recorded decades ago."

"Fascinating." Soundwave muttered, settling into the seat next to Jazz.

"If you want, I can lend you my tape, man." Jazz grinned, settling back into his easy demeanor. "Just take care of it. It's the only one I'll see for a long time."


	4. Concentric Circles

Summary: Another dream has shaken the trine, and Starscream insists that they find out if Skywarp's fears are based in reality. A mysterious blackout ensues, and everyone finds themselves forced to confront old ghosts, in what might be the worst camp out ever.

. . .

"Primus..." Skywarp whispered, shaken, after yet another night of broken sleep. Tonight, Starscream was with them, and he yawned loudly.

"Don't worry, Warp. If this persists for much longer, I'll get rid of this ghost the hard way. With a null ray between the eyes." The air commander growled drowsily.

"I hate to rain on your parade, Screamer, but I don't think ghosts are susceptible to that." Thundercracker frowned. He hugged the other two seekers closer to him, and Skywarp could practically see the gears turning in his head.

"The nightmares must mean something. They have to." the lavender seeker muttered, and turned away when he saw accusation in Thundercracker's eyes.

"Er, listen, Warp. It isn't that we don't believe you, it's just that... you sound a little insane, you know?"

"There's only one way to find out." Starscream spoke up, disengaging himself from Thundercracker's arm as he did so. He struck what he hoped was an inspiring pose, and pointed to the door.

"We have to get to the bottom of this!" He turned to Skywarp, and took hold of his hand. "And to do that, you need to use your power."

"Wait you two!" Thundercracker exclaimed. "We've been on half rations for a while now, do you even have the energy?"

"I think so." Skywarp nodded. "Just one jump shouldn't hurt."

"Just do a simple one. From this end of the room to the other. If you're going to sense anything weird, that should do it, right?" Starscream suggested, and Skywarp nodded again.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can try at least." And with that, against his better judgement, Skywarp flickered out of vision, appearing again on the other side of the room.

"The cargo bay!" he exclaimed frantically, before warping again. Thundercracker and Starscream both called for him, but the seeker was already gone.

Down in the cargo bay, the two were relieved to see Skywarp as soon as they entered. They assumed he had come down here, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"What were you thinking? We said ONE warp!" Thundercracker exclaimed.

"I had to be sure." Skywarp muttered, seeming no worse for wear.

"And did you get any more clues?" Starscream asked.

"Yes!" Skywarp pointed to a panel that he had somehow screwed out of the wall, exposing naked cords and wires. "I think the junction is secured in there."

Both newcomers followed Skywarp's gaze, and frowned.

"Um. I don't think it's a good idea to be digging around in the ship. The ship that happens to be the only thing standing between us and oblivion, I might add." Thundercracker sagely pointed out.

"Well as long as we're sure we don't damage anything..." Starscream ventured.

Skywarp was already shuffling through lengths of wire, bending aside thin metal plating, and acting as if he knew something about space ship design.

"I hate to be the wet blanket. Again." Thundercracker began. "But do you actually know what a warp junction looks like?"

Skywarp jumped up, ready to dispute the accusation, when he tripped on an exposed cord, and promptly tore it right out of the wall. The lights flickered out, and suddenly, the room was dark.

"... Incidentally, not that it matters now..." Skywarp muttered. "I do NOT in fact, know what a Warp Junction looks like."

. . .

When the lights went out, the stalwart crew of the Solaris stumbled to the hangar (which was becoming the de facto gathering place) by the faint glow of emergency lights. Once there, Ratchet lit a flare from his emergency supplies, and everyone gathered round it.

"Status report?" Optimus asked the room at large. Soundwave spoke up first.

"Right before the blackout, nothing seemed amiss. I had just run a diagnostics test, and aside from Navigation, which is still out, everything seemed fine."

"Wait, navigation is out!?" Bumblebee exclaimed, and Optimus realized with a sinking feeling that this was the worst possible way for

the information to come to light.

"I knew this was a bad idea..." Skywarp grumbled, hugging himself.

"Everyone, calm down!" Megatron ordered. As usual, no one listened.

The whispers grew to shouts, and finally, Jazz stood up on a crate, and blared his horn for a half-second.

"Hold it, you guys!" He called out. "Fighting ain't gonna solve anything! We need a plan!"

Slowly, order fell. Ratchet was the first to speak up. "Now, did anyone see anything strange before the lights went out?"

" I was in the cargo bay, actually, and a section of the wall seemed damaged." Thundercracker cautiously offered, hoping no one could read his optics in the dim light.

"That is a good place to start." Soundwave agreed. "I will go, and see if that is where the problem lies."

"I'll go too." Ratchet added. Partly because he was suspicious, and partly out of curiosity.

"And me!" Jazz jumped from his crate, and surprised everyone with his addition. "What?" he responded to the curious stares. "I gotta bring the soundtrack!" He didn't mention that he was also dying to show Soundwave more Earth music. After the three departed, with Ratchet bristling at Jazz's music suggestions, the remaining mechs stared at each other around the flare. None of them really wanted to leave and return to dark rooms that reeked of apprehension. None of them wanted to stay here, with the awkward silence.

"So, uh, who wants to tell scary stories?" Bumblebee offered, and was met with blank stares. "It's a human tradition. They sit around a fire, and tell stories that are meant to scare each other."

"If that is the case, I have many such stories." Optimus offered. "But I don't see the value in telling stories for the sake of fear."

"No, it isn't like that," Bee insisted. "You're just supposed to get a little spooked, and being with others makes it easier to handle. Then when something real and dangerous comes along to scare you, you'll be ready."

"Like a team building exercise." Optimus nodded, satisfied. Bumblebee decided that there was no need to correct him, and simply shrugged.

"I will start, then." Optimus offered.

. . .

"Long ago, on the planet Cybertron, the war had just begun. I was just a young general back then, but I was devoted to the cause. My current objective, was to protect a certain diplomat from assassination. It was supposed to be a very simple mission, we simply had to protect this political figure until the end of a party he was throwing.

"We soon discovered just how complicated things could become. Halfway through the gala, the lights flickered off, and we were left in darkness, much like we are now. I spun around to locate the diplomat, and from all around me, I heard the gurgling, grinding sounds of mechs dying. I grabbed my charge, and rushed for a side door I had located on the way in, practically dragging him behind me. I ran in, locked the door behind me, and then turned on my lights. I could see a bit better now, but I was praying that whatever was outside, wouldn't find us in there."

Optimus paused for dramatic effect, and the audience listened with rapt attention.

"I turned my lights to the diplomat I had been told to protect, to see if he was alright. The new light illuminated something I hadn't noticed in the darkness: A large dagger was protruding from the mech's chest. He had been stabbed in the back, and had been dead for minutes now."

Optimus fixed everyone with a steady gaze in turn, before turning that gaze to the fire. Bumblebee didn't know whether to applaud or cringe. It was a good story, but the fact that it had actually happened was sort of putting a damper on his enjoyment of it.

"That's not quite how I remember it." Megatron spoke quietly.

"You! You were there, that night!?" Optimus exclaimed.

"That's what the sentence would imply, isn't it? Anyway, that diplomat you were so keen on protecting? He was one of the leading figureheads of illegal trade in some of Cybertron's poorest cities, under the table of course. Who do you think his party guests were? In any case, that event was one of the early Decepticon victories of the war." He smirked viciously at Prime. "I'm not surprised you spent it cowering in a bedchamber."

Optimus bristled, his optics flaring brighter as he clenched his fists. He could have spoken about how vigilante justice was never justified, or about how the court system could have used whatever evidence the Decepticons had... but he deflated when he thought about the corruption that ran rampant back then, and how this particular fellow would have likely bribed his way out of it.

"Uh..." Skywarp interrupted the painful silence with a cough. "Can I go next?"

. . .

"Okay, so back in the seeker wing of the academy, we had this story, right? It was like, passed down from generation to generation. Of academy students, that is." Warp began, and Starscream groaned.

"THAT story? It's so cliché..." the air commander griped. He wondered if too many academy ghost stories were causing Skywarp's sudden nightmares.

"Just listen, okay?" Skywarp retorted, and Starscream huffed.

"Okay, so anyway, there was this wing of the Academy that had once been barracks. But supposedly an earthquake had made the foundation unstable, and the administration had to seal it off." Skyfire paused, the light shining of his face plates.

"... But we knew the true story. In the early days of the Cybertron War Academy, there was this seeker who went totally insane. Everyone thought he was studying, but he had actually holed himself up in his room for a way darker reason. The academy had a pretty huge dropout rate at the time, so no one really asked questions when a few mechs disappeared. But they _did_ start asking questions when the bot's hall neighbors started complaining."

He paused again. Bumblebee resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Complaining... Of the smell coming from the guy's room! The smell of rust, and leaked energon, and decaying chassis! The real reason they sealed off the west wing, was because of the curse of that very mech who murdered his classmates! Anyone who slept there, would never wake again!"

Skywarp leaned back, satisfied. No one countered him, partially because they were bored into silence, but mostly because the story had so many glaring plot holes that no one knew where to begin.

"Ohhhkay..." Bumblebee said, breaking the silence. He had become the ring leader of this activity, and he decided it was time to move things along. "Anyone else have a story?"

Mechs looked at each other and shrugged. The little circle of bots at the flare were out of ideas. Starscream looked as if he could care less about the whole ordeal, and pointedly ignored Bumblebee. Thundercracker shrugged. Bumblebee himself didn't have any ideas either. His gaze wandered over to Megatron. Sensing the intention, the silver mech spoke.

"I can tell you a story." He said in a low voice. "But it will be scary. And it will be very true. Can you handle that, little Autobot?"

It wasn't like they had anything better to do.

. . .

"Kaon is a city of darkness, from vast forges and refineries, to the gladiator pits, where wealthy merchants paid good money to watch us tear each other apart. My story begins there. In the pits, life was hard, and I soon learned that the entire system was rife with corruption. That's where I learned the trick of rationing energon wisely." He looked at Optimus, fixing him with a steady and accusing gaze, as if he believed the Autobot, who was just following orders, to be behind the whole of all of Cybertron's corruption. "That's also where I learned how to kill other mechs, eloquently, fearlessly... but never remorselessly."

"Death matches were forbidden centuries before that!" Optimus exclaimed, beginning to feel like he was personally under fire.

"That doesn't mean it never happened." Megatron replied sardonically. "In any case, this story begins one fateful night, after a particularly rough match. I was forced to go up against a mech I knew personally, and while it wasn't technically a death match, it might as well have been. His name was Magmabreaker, and he died that night, from his wounds."

"Meanwhile, I lay there in my berth, thinking about how unfair it all was. About how, if I was ever free, I would purge the corruption from Cybertron. Then it occurred to me. Why couldn't I do it? Uprisings had of course been attempted before, but they were short lived, and the mechs involved were usually a small group that were ready to stab each other in the back at the first available chance. I knew I could do better."

At this, the audience leaned forward in anticipation and horror. They hadn't expected an origin story, and while nothing had been too graphic, they knew the scary part was yet to come. Optimus looked ill.

"I assembled a group of supporters, rallied not by power, but by the promise of a free Cybertron. It took over a year, and the plan culminated one night, during a grand exhibition match. All of my allies were in the ring with me, and to the surprise of the audience, instead of fighting each other, we leapt into the stands, causing mayhem on our way to the exits. Of course the guards tried to stop us. We killed them, and any bystanders who got in our way. I saw good mechs fall around me, and ultimately, I fell too.

"I was thoroughly beaten, and tossed back into a dark cell. It wasn't the end. Eventually, through the proper channels, I grew in popularity, and raised enough money to buy my way out, the legal way."

Megatron smiled genuinely, a rare occasion. He looked up to the black darkness above him, and the smile faded as soon as it came.

"The euphoria of being free - finally free - was like a dream. But I couldn't take time to enjoy it. Too much had to be done. I made my way through the darkest parts of Cybertron, gathering support everywhere I went. Suddenly, I was no longer the leader of a group of gladiator rebels. I was the leader of an army. The Decepticon Army. And no amount of money or power could ever make me forget the promises I made in the pits of Kaon."

Everyone was silent. Optimus looked stricken. Starscream was watching Megatron closely, as if he almost didn't believe the story. Bumblebee inwardly groaned. He'd had a lot of bad ideas in the past, but this one one had to be the all-time worst. Luckily for everyone, the lights came back on at that very moment. Skywarp breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried for a moment, that he might have been thrown off the ship.

"The problem was easily fixed." Soundwave spoke, entering the hangar with the other two bots in tow.

"But look what I found!" Ratchet exclaimed. He held up an object in one hand, and without even knowing what it was, Skywarp let out a shudder. It was a flat disc, with two input wires on either side. The thing was a bright turquoise, and looked to be engraved with concentric circles.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is an early Seeker warp junction!" The medic exclaimed, examining the part with excitement.

"Well, good news and bad news." Thundercracker swallowed, bracing himself for the outcome. "Skywarp, I'm sorry for doubting you." The blue seeker turned to the others, and then looked steadily at the ground. "There's a high probability that that thing is what gives this ship it's teleportation ability. And you just tore it out of the wall."

Chaos broke loose. Nothing good could come of these continuous secrets and arguments, but Optimus didn't know how to ease the tension. Inside, his spark felt constricted, and he found it hard to think. In such a state, Optimus was not fit to lead, and thinking thusly, he made his way to a corner to ponder the situation. He was more than rattled by Megatron's story and accusations, and he found himself wishing once again to be back on earth, where his job was to protect the humans - a simple task for a mech with good intentions.

Bumblebee was trying frantically to calm everyone down. Ratchet was berating the trine about keeping the Warp Junction a secret. Starscream was royally pissed off now, and tearing into the Autobot medic with a barrage of insults. A silver figure slipped through the chaos, and fixed Optimus with a severe gaze.

"This isn't the place for a leader to be, Prime." Megatron glared at the Autobot as he approached.

"I am in no shape to lead." He slumped farther down, and glanced at Megatron. "After being on Earth for so many years, I had forgotten many of the horrors of pre-war Cybertron."

"I wanted to make a point in front of my crew." Megatron stated evenly. "But this ship is _not_ old Cybertron, and your army needs you now. We all need you."

"I noticed something about your story." Optimus gazed at Megatron, trying to read his expression.

"Oh?" The silver mech asked, eyebrow raised quizzically.

"After our skirmishes, our human friend often pointed out that you seemed unnecessarily hard on Starscream. Now I believe I understand." Prime kept his even gaze as he straightened up. "I believe that you expect perfection, because you don't wish for him to learn leadership the same way you did, through trial and error."

Megatron was genuinely surprised that the Autobot had surmised that. No one on his own team had, not even Starscream himself.

"Yes." The silver mech looked back towards the seeker, who seemed to be defending Thundercracker against a furiously gesturing Ratchet, batting away Bumblebee's hand as he desperately beckoned for a truce.

"I wanted him to learn that true leadership is derived from strength of character, not strength of frame. He still doesn't understand though." Megatron looked at Optimus as they both began to walk back towards the quarreling group.

"Given the war, I've been forced to give him more responsibilities, and it will come back to bite me, I know. Eventually, Starscream will be thrust into power, and he won't know what to do with it. Just like I didn't, all those years ago."

No one had ever told Megatron about the primitive human concept that time was cyclical, that rulers rose and fell, and time repeated itself, just like the concentric circles that marked the junction which Skywarp held close to his chest. If he had known, he probably would have scoffed.

Meanwhile, Skyfire emerged from a doorway, fresh from a relaxing nap in the conference room. He saw the all-out chaos which had erupted in the hangar, saw Megatron and Optimus whispering to each other, and decided he was going to take another nap.


	5. Leisure

Summary: After the blackout fiasco, Starscream feels like he should comfort Megatron, who wants anything but pity. Jazz meets the Cassettes. Skywarp and Ratchet argue.

. . .

After the eventual dispersal of the riot in the landing bay, everyone ate and went to recharge. Even a day later, Megatron still seemed to be sulking. His seeker could tell. He was pacing back and forth. Sometimes he would mutter about relevant statistics and clench his fists for the eightieth time in a row. Finally, Starscream couldn't stand it anymore and all the frustration burst out of him.

"I swear to Primus, if you don't cut it out, I'm going to scream." The seeker exclaimed, folding his arms for emphasis. Megatron turned on him in an instant, and slammed a heavy hand onto the wall, beside Starscream's head. This gave the impression that he was much more towering and intimidating than he actually was.

"And just who do you think you are, Starscream? To speak to me that way?" He asked. The air commander wasn't fazed.

"Someone who's concerned about you." Starscream answered calmly. He looked carefully into the silver mech's optics, before slipping back into his smug persona. "It isn't good for you to show weakness like you did last night."

"Oh?" Megatron laughed mirthlessly. "And what would you know about that?"

"Er... well. Nothing." Starscream muttered, and Megatron nearly choked on air. Starscream? HIS Starscream? Being _humble_? This was it, Megatron thought. The end of the universe as we know it.

"I'm just... concerned for you." Starscream answered quietly.

"Concerned." Megatron repeated, scanning the other mech's optics for signs of deceit.

"Yes. Concerned. I had no idea what you went through, and I can't hope to understand. But I want to help."

For a moment, Megatron cracked. He wanted to believe that this little seeker could really heal him, from the inside out. Then he remembered with a start, who he was talking to. He stood up straight again, and fixed Starscream with a glare.

"I need help from you, like I need a null ray to the face. Which incidentally, is probably the form your help will take."

"Hey! I was actually being serious for once!" Starscream hissed, flaring his wings. They drooped again, when he spoke. "I know I can be a real pain sometimes, but I only do that to keep you on your toes."

"Oh really?" Megatron scoffed. "All that loud posturing about being the leader was just for show?"

"Oh no, I fully intend to be the leader someday. One day you'll slip up, Megatron, and I'll be there to pick up the pieces." He coughed, looking a bit sheepish. "But that day is probably not today. If I had power today... I'd probably scrap it up somehow." He grinned that dumb little smirk. He grinned like an idiot, and Megatron felt a similar smile creep across his faceplates.

Then he kissed him. He kissed that deliciously stupid smile, and Starscream reached up, wrapping both hands around the silver mech's shoulder plates, pulling him closer. When they pulled apart, Starscream smirked, and his next words were almost as bizarre as the previous ones.

"You need to take a day off. Let Soundwave handle things for once."

Megatron practically had a heart attack. The fact that he could take a break without having to worry about a disaster while he was gone? With a happy sigh, the world weary Decepticon collapsed onto his berth.

"How can I be certain you won't destroy something while I rest?"

"Obviously, I'll be here. With you." Starscream smirked, optics half lidded. Megatron recognized that mischievous look, and it sent a thrill through his entire frame. "Just lay back, and let your second in command take care of you. Roll over."

Megatron relaxed his shoulders, doing as he was told. Any other day, he would have scoffed at such a blatant order, but after today's revelations, he could only smile. Starscream leaned over him, and began to massage the silver mech's shoulder plates.

Deft fingers eased the kinks from wires, and buffed the scratches off of silver plating. Megatron sighed. It had been years, maybe even decades since he'd had a good massage. If he had known Starscream was this good, he would have asked sooner.

"Where did you learn to work my plating like that?" Megatron asked softly from the berth.

"Seekers who are close tend to preen each other. I learned from Skywarp."

Starscream worked his way down his leader's back, using every technique at his disposal to rub out any imperfections, to work out dents and twisted wires. The silver chassis practically shone. When that was done, He did the natural thing... and kept going down.

. . .

"Thank you for lending me your primitive Earth recordings." Soundwave's optics brightened, and it seemed that behind his facemask, he was even smiling. Jazz found that despite his habit of staring and hovering silently in doorways, Soundwave was a pretty cool mech.

"So what did you think?" The Autobot asked, eager for a Cybertronian perspective on his favorite music.

"Firstly, I never bothered to wonder what Earth devices my underlings were modeled after. Now that I know, it seems very fitting." Soundwave looked closely at the cassette held by Jazz, as if contemplating his next words. "The vocal range of the singer is weak and scratchy, and I have heard better human music than this, much less Cybertronian."

"Er, yeah... It's an acquired taste, I guess." Jazz replied, a bit crestfallen that the other mech didn't have any good things to say.

"But yet..." Soundwave continued. "I could not completely discount it, and listened to the end. The songs made me feel happy, despite their primitive flaws."

"Yeah! That's exactly it!" Jazz exclaimed, surprised and pleased that the seemingly emotionless Decepticon understood the basic concept behind music. "Even though it might sound like scrap metal run through a blender, it does what it's supposed to do - make you feel something."

Jazz carefully tucked the cassette back into his tape deck, and took out another. At that moment, Soundwave also took out a cassette, and it transformed into Ravage, who growled, causing Jazz to scramble up onto a chair.

"Uh, nice doggie!" the Autobot pleaded, and behind the faceplates, Soundwave almost seemed to laugh.

"Ravage says he also liked the music." the Decepticon translated.

"Uh, that's cool man, real cool." Jazz replied, relieving a bit of his tension as he slid from a crouch into a sitting position.

"All my cassettes liked the music." Soundwave noted. "Rumble and Frenzy started dancing. I've never seen them do that before."

"That's the power of jazz, man!" The Autobot exclaimed. Soundwave knew he was talking about the genre, but not for the first time, the Decepticon thought that there might be some magic in the _bot_ named Jazz too.

"Oh man, we barely scratched the surface of human music, Soundwave! You need to listen to rock and roll too!" Jazz pulled out more cassette tapes, and the Decepticon opened his chest compartment in reply.

"Do you mind if I take mine out too?" He asked, remembering how his family had enjoyed the music.

"Sure, man, the more the merrier!" Jazz replied, putting on one of his favorite tapes of songs by a Doo Wop band, The Sensations. Rumble, Frenzy, and Laserbeak emerged to join Ravage.

"Hey Soundwave!" Rumble exclaimed. "Is this that Autobot who gave you the music?"

"Nice to meet you!" Jazz replied as Soundwave nodded. "I'm Jazz."

"I'm ready to party!" Frenzy grinned. "Turn up the tunes!"

Jazz complied, and soon the sounds of _Music Music Music_ filled the room. Rumble pounded the floor to the beat, and Frenzy danced frenetically, to a rhythm that didn't match the song. Laserbeak perched on the back of a chair, and bobbed his head in time.

"Wow, you weren't kidding, man. These cats really dig Earth music, huh!"

"Yes." Soundwave replied, watching the small mechs enjoy themselves. "I do not understand it, but your music makes them happy."

Jazz noticed the way Soundwave looked at the others, and it reminded him of how he'd seen others look at their sparklings. He clearly cared for them and valued their happiness, more than Jazz had ever imagined the emotionless Soundwave could.

"You really care about them, huh?" The Autobot asked carefully, out of earshot of the cassettes.

"They are my family." Soundwave answered simply, honestly. "I want the best for them."

"I can tell." Jazz answered. "You don't really like my music, do you?"

"It is not my favorite, no."

"But because they liked it, you came back for more?"

"Yes."

"I think I understand." Jazz finished, and gave Soundwave a pat on the back. It surprised the Decepticon, and he stiffened, before relaxing.

"You're a pretty cool cat, Soundwave."

. . .

"I still don't understand how you know the warp junction affects the space travel abilities of this ship." Ratchet asked for what seemed like the tenth time.

"It's just a feeling, you know?" Skywarp answered. Again. "I can't explain it, I just KNOW."

"It's a seeker thing." Thundercracker explained. "Just trust him us on this."

"A seeker thing." Ratchet echoed sardonically. "Then you felt it too?" he asked Thundercracker.

"Well... no..."

"Then how, pray tell, do we know he isn't just insane?" the Autobot medic asked, through clenched teeth.

"Because I said so! He's my trinemate and I trust him, okay? Just listen to us!" The blue jet exclaimed, just as exasperated as the medic with these endless questions.

"We won't find out until we have to use the warp drive later, so why don't you let me just examine it?" Ratchet asked sweetly, trying a new tactic.

"No! No way!" Warp exclaimed, hugging the device close to his chest. "This used to be _inside_ someone! This might be all that remains of one of my ancestors!"

"It's just a relic!" Ratchet threw his hands up in surrender.

"What if you break it? If this thing is really linked to the ship, we could be stranded forever without it." Thundercracker fixed him with a steady glare.

"Keep it then," Ratchet rolled his optics, turning back to his workbench. "See if I care."

The seekers left the makeshift-med bay, and Skyfire, who had been watching quietly until this point, made his way to the medic's side with a grim expression.

"They're right, you know. Even I would never take someone's family remains, even for the sake of science, or the betterment of Cybertron."

"That's just a theory." Ratchet pouted. "They don't even know if it's related to Skywarp's family at all."

"But how would YOU feel if someone wanted to study Optimus Prime's remains?"

"Matrix forbid!" Ratchet exclaimed, before coughing awkwardly and composing himself. "That isn't the same thing."

"On Earth, the human doctors must take an oath, 'First, do no harm.'" Skyfire exclaimed, remembering something Chip had once told him. "Even if you can discover the nature of ancient warp functions, it would cause undue harm to both Skywarp, and possibly the ship, if they're right."

"You're right, of course..." the medic sighed. "I got carried away. The ends should never justify the means."

"I'm glad you reached that conclusion." Skyfire said, looking off in the direction of the bridge. "These seemingly small distinctions are what make _us_ different from our enemies."


	6. Setting Priorities

Summary: Megatron ponders the nature of the relationship between Skyfire and Starscream, while Bumblebee struggles to find himself worthy of Optimus' love

. . .

"Mm..." Starscream was the sort of bot who murmured in his sleep. Megatron sometimes told him that even in recharge, he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Even so, the silver mech thought it was sort of endearing, and held his second close. Which made it easier to eavesdrop on his whispers.

"... Mnn...hnn..." The seeker practically whined in his sleep. Megatron felt a shudder run down his spine. He knew that whimper like the sound of his own heartbeat, and he would have bet money that his air commander was dreaming something embarrassingly naughty. He listened closer, eavesdropping on purpose now.

"Mmm... Skyfire..." Starscream whispered, cuddling closer to Megatron, who had frozen in surprise. He recognized the name of course, who could forget Starscream's happiness when they had discovered Skyfire in stasis. He just hadn't known that the traitor meant so much to him. Suddenly, the warm weight of Starscream's body seemed _too_ warm, and Megatron rose from the berth.

Silently, the leader of the Decepticon army made his way down the halls of the Solaris. The Decepticons on board knew when their leader was brooding, and steered clear of him. The Autobots, however, were not so lucky. And it just so happened that the first Autobot the silver mech ran into, was Skyfire. The scientist was whistling a cheerful tune, despite having to bend over to walk through the halls of a ship designed for much smaller Cybertronians.

"Skyfire." Megatron hissed in a tone that meant business. "Come with me. I must speak with you. Somewhere we won't be disturbed."

. . .

In the Solaris' only break room, Optimus and Bumblebee were drinking their energon rations - heated and thinned out. Ever since the navigation died, the ship had been little more than adrift. For a craft that ran on solar wind, it was doing little more than drifting through dead space, which was bound to happen when one lost track of the nearest solar system. Judging based on where they were when the navigation went out, and how far the ship's momentum would take them, Skyfire had estimated that they would make it to the nearest system before they ran out of energon reserves. Probably.

Making it back to Cybertron was out of the question. Optimus silently reminded himself of the reason he was here with Bumblebee. He had been thinking, and one thing always came back to mind. When the lights went out, one yellow mech had gathered them all together with an activity in mind. It might not have gone as planned, but Bumblebee had tried his best, even when Optimus wasn't much help. If they were here together, for an indeterminate amount of time, Prime wanted Bee to be at his side. He wouldn't trust it to any other mech, and that was what he tried to say.

"... Nice weather we're having." He choked out instead. As usual, Bee was the first to notice that something was wrong.

"Are you okay, Optimus?" he asked, blue optics raking over Prime like he could spot what was wrong, just by looking for it.

"I must confess something to you." Optimus sighed, shoulders drooping under the weight of an army. "Yesterday, I was reminded of some parts of Cybertron, that I had forgotten since the war began."

"Oh, It's alright Optimus. You were just doing your duty, and Megatron was being a jerk for making you seem like the bad guy." Bumblebee didn't seem like he understood exactly, but then again, Prime was being very vague. He continued his speech. The one he'd worked on all morning.

"For a long time, I saw you all as my family. I felt it was my duty to protect you. _Especially_ you." Optimus said quietly, meeting Bee's eyes.

"But now I know that you can take care of yourself. I don't need to be your hero, or your caretaker, but I _would_ like to... be something more to you, Bumblebee."

Optimus felt heat rush to his faceplates as he tried to say the next part.

"Would you do me the honor of being my partner? It has been a long time since I had someone to share my meals with."

"And your berth?" Bee added playfully, but grew serious when he saw how embarrassed Optimus was. "I'm sorry Op, mechs these days are a lot more casual about things like that. I was just kidding." Bumblebee paused, and then added, "Unless... you want it to be serious."

Optimus glanced down, and practically whispered the next part, mortified.

"We shall see where the evening takes us."

. . .

"Tell me about Vos." Megatron spoke quietly, as the two mechs sat in Skyfire's quarters. Which were actually just the loading docks with a recharge station and med supplies wheeled in. Most of the bots had to share quarters to save space, but Skyfire was so big that he needed a room to himself.

"I don't know where to begin, Megatron." Skyfire answered, thinking. "Can I ask, what exactly you want to know about?"

The Decepticon leader couldn't exactly say that he wanted to know about Starscream's history there. So he started with something he knew the two seekers had in common.

"Tell me about the academy of science there."

"It was beautiful." Skyfire smiled, and his optics brightened as he recalled the towers of his home. "Like other buildings of Vos, the spires reached to the clouds, and shone like platinum in the sun. In the science academy, Starscream and I spent our days looking for new energy sources. Even back then, we knew that Cybertron was running out. We thought we could change the world." A sudden sadness overtook Skyfire.

"I always thought he would be the one to make the breakthrough."

"From what I understand, Starscream left the science academy shortly after you were lost in the ice field. For what it's worth, our primary goal is still to find energon."

"But you put the lives of humans at risk, and for that, I cannot forgive you." Skyfire stated firmly, and Megatron shrugged again.

"Despite our moral differences, you should know that I care about Starscream. That is something we have in common. And I think he might be homesick. I want to give him something to remind him of Vos."

"That's... Uncharacteristically heartfelt, Megatron." Skyfire noted with a hint of suspicion.

"Being on the Solaris, taking a momentary truce from our battle... has given me time to think. I want to get my priorities straight." The silver mech answered quietly.

"Starscream will do that to you." Skyfire smiled warmly. "He's brash and overconfident, but that's what we love him for."

"Who said I loved him?" Megatron growled. "I just realized I don't hate him, is all."

"Well," Skyfire began, "If you decide you _do_ love Starscream, tell him. Don't make the same mistake I did."

. . .

Bumblebee made his way through the halls of the ship, trying to sort out his thoughts. Optimus had just made a very serious confession, and the least the yellow mech could do was take it as seriously as Optimus did. Bee had thought about it for hours, and it still didn't seem right to him. He really liked Optimus. Prime was an attractive bot, but Bee admired his personality too. He was loyal, strong, and brave, but could also be playful and witty.

He was perfect, and that was the problem, wasn't it? Bumblebee felt that no matter what he did, he had no right to be in love with such a wonderful mech. He could never deserve Optimus, and could only drag him down. And that was what he must tell his leader when he saw him next. The little yellow mech was so engrossed in his thoughts, that he bumped right into a Decepticon. The seeker flared his wings indignantly, and narrowed his optics.

"Sorry... you." Bumblebee muttered, the name of this jet escaping him.

"It's Skywarp." The seeker hissed. "Watch where you're going."

"Hey! It takes two to tango, buddy!" Bee exclaimed. He might have been caught up in his thoughts, but that didn't make the accident _his_ fault!

"Er, what?" The jet asked quizzically.

"Sorry. It's earthling slang. It means that we share the blame." Bee sometimes forgot that the Decepticons never learned much about humans. It just made him miss Spike even more.

"Whatever." The seeker shrugged, before fixing the yellow bot with a steady gaze. "You were thinking about something pretty hard huh?"

"Yeah." Bumblebee sighed. "You probably wouldn't care about it."

"You'd be surprised what boredom does to a mech. I'm up for anything." Skywarp replied sardonically.

"Well, it's like this. Say there's this robot, a mech or femme, and you like them a lot, and they like you too." Bumblebee was surprised that the seeker was still listening, so he continued. "But this bot... I don't think I deserve them. Their love and trust in me is misplaced, I'm sure of it."

"Is that it?" Skywarp laughed, and Bee prepared to be mocked. "I've... actually been through that." The seeker looked at Bumblebee earnestly.

"There was this mech at the academy, gorgeous, you know? But he was practically royalty, a real noble from Vos. I admired him from afar, but I knew I didn't deserve him."

"What happened?"

"I finally confessed my feelings, but he laughed at me, and said I was out of his league. I thought to myself that I deserved it, for trying to fly too close to the sun. But then he spoke again, and said to me: 'Maybe that's a good thing. We can make each other stronger that way.'"

"What happened then?" Bumblebee asked eagerly.

"Now he's my trinemate." Skywarp winked, and Bumblebee tilted his head to the side.

"So you're saying that even if I'm weak, I still have a chance?"

"Yeah, exactly. You can make each other stronger as you grow together. That's what I think, anyway." Skywarp answered confidently. Bumblebee let that advice turn around in his mind, and hummed appreciatively. He had a lot to think about.

. . .

Night on the Solaris was much like days on the ship. The only difference was that shifts were different, and the artificial lights were dimmer. Megatron made his way to the room he shared with Starscream, carrying a small black cube, which he had been working on all day, with Soundwave and his cassettes. Unsurprisingly, Starscream was lying on the berth when Megatron arrived, pointedly ignoring him.

"I'm back." The silver mech announced, for the sake of having something break the silence.

"You left without waking me up." Starscream muttered. "I slept practically all day."

"You did seem rather tired last night. I thought you might need the rest." Megatron answered evenly. Starscream was testing him, seeing what he could get away with, and the Decepticon leader knew it now, so he made the choice to be the bigger mech this time.

"Since when do you care about my recharge levels, oh _mighty_ Megatron?"

Megatron sighed. Starscream only called him that when he was feeling particularly sarcastic, because he knew it got on the silver mech's nerves. Sometimes he just wanted to grab that obnoxious seeker and shake some sense into him.

"This truce should have given me the time to pay more attention to you. I should have noticed sooner, that something was wrong."

The angry comment died on Starscream's lips, and his optics locked onto Megatron, searching for lies and excuses.

"I should have noticed how homesick you were."

Megatron held out the object he had been keeping hidden since he arrived: a holocube. He flicked it on, and a tiny city emerged. There were spires and towers. and seekers flew past it, their alt-modes distinctly Cybertronian.

"The palace of Vos." Starscream muttered. "How did you know?" He practically cried out in surprise, as if Megatron had grown another head. Given how dense he was when it came to matters of the heart, that might have been accurate.

"Last night... you called for Skyfire in your sleep. You've never done that before. I thought that being here, on the ship with him, had reminded you of your times with him on Cybertron."

It was Megatron's turn to be surprised, when Starscream lunged forward and wrapped him in an embrace.

"Thank you." The seeker whispered, and Megatron found the heat rushing to his face. Starscream said a lot of things, few of them genuine, but this... was heartfelt. And Megatron didn't know how to deal with that. Starscream was grateful, possibly more than he'd ever been in his life. To see the glittering towers of his home, rendered in silver holoform, as if they still stood, immune to the war and weather. He felt a pain in his chest, like his spark was breaking. His leader went above and beyond this time, to show he cared, and yet… Starscream still felt pangs of jealousy. He'd been noticing it for days - the way Megatron and Optimus looked at each other as if they were the only two mechs in the room.

. . .

Ratchet had politely decided to make himself scarce for the evening, to give Optimus and Bumblebee some privacy. The two were sitting on Optimus' berth, sharing another glass of energon rations.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Bumblebee." Optimus murmured in that low, beautiful baritone.

"Me too." Bee said honestly. "I should have accepted immediately, but... I was worried that your trust in me was misplaced. I didn't want to let you down."

"There's a chance that you'll let me down, because mistakes are sometimes unavoidable. But I won't ever stop loving you because of it." Optimus stated it like it was an unstoppable law of nature, and Bumblebee felt his optics flicker and brighten.

"Op... you always know the right thing to say." Bee smiled, and leaned in, pressing his lips gently to Optimus' face mask. He lowered it quietly, and the yellow mech went in for a full kiss. They both tasted like slaggy energon, but they didn't care. Bumblebee wrapped both hands around Prime's shoulders, and he felt large hands on his back.

"I want you to stay by my side, Bumblebee." Optimus whispered, showing a rare moment of weakness as his optics flickered and his voice cracked.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." The yellow mech replied. "I love you, even your flaws, and nothing you do will change that."

For once, Optimus looked forward to the future with hope.


	7. Sunbeam

Summary: The trine tries to finally put an end to the mystery. Jazz and Soundwave go on a date. The artificial gravity shuts off and we see how everyone handles it.

. . .

"He gave you that? Really?" Thundercracker asked, eagerly watching the holocube in Starscream's hands. The image was projecting beautifully, and as expected, the seekers were enamored with it. To see their city again, whole and beautiful, was beyond wonderful.

"You bet your aft, he did." Starscream replied, holding the cube close to him.

"You think a spark bonding is far away?" Skywarp teased, and Starscream glared at him.

"It isn't like that." He hissed. "This isn't a bonding gift, it's just to show he cares. And also a thank you gift. Because I'm the best second in command there is."

"The best?" Thundercracker snorted. "You tried to smother him with a pillow, just last week."

"Yeah," Skywarp laughed. "You've always got Megatron's back... In your sights!"

"That's what makes me the best second in command!" Starscream exclaimed, turning off the holocube and slipping it into his subspace,. "I keep him alert and ready! You don't see Optimus Prime's second doing that!"

"Who IS Prime's second, anyway?" Skywarp asked.

"I... don't know." Thundercracker answered incredulously.

"He spends a lot of time with that little yellow one, doesn't he?" Starscream offered. Skywarp suddenly remembered the conversation he'd had with Bumblebee in the hallway. Was that why the Autobot was so nervous? No, no, it was something else that was bothering Bee. Perhaps the mech he was talking about had been Optimus? It would make sense.

"I don't think he's Prime's second. Not yet at least." Warp said, mostly to himself. He reached into his own subspace and pulled out the warp junction that had come from the ship. He held it gingerly in his hands, turning it over and over as it shimmered in the light.

"So, here's the thing." Thundercracker spoke, jolting Skywarp out of his thoughts. "Do we really believe that this warp junction is connected to the ship?"

"Yes! You guys didn't believe me when I sensed that it was here - you have to believe me now!" Warp spoke with conviction, and the other two seekers nodded.

"There's only one thing to do, then." Starscream announced. "We have to return it to the ship, where we found it. Otherwise, we'll never be able to get home."

"No!" Skywarp exclaimed, clutching the device close to him. "In my dreams, this thing was still attached to it's owner's spark! If we put it back, she'll just be trapped again!"

"Not to mention, what's to stop that slimy Autobot medic from getting at it?" Thundercracker added.

"Well, what do you propose we do?" Starscream hissed, indignant that his plan was so poorly received.

"I... don't know." Warp answered lamely. He was about to return the junction to it's spot in his pocket dimension, when he felt a strange sensation of peace. The others felt it too, connected by the trine bond.

"What WAS that?" Starscream muttered, for once, uncharacteristically quiet.

"I think it came from the warp junction." Skywarp answered, and with another wave of energy, all three heard a voice, female, sad, and filled with bursts of static.

*"Sunbeam... I... free of... no... to trap..."*

"I... don't believe this." Thundercracker shook his head in disbelief.

"You have to. You can't ignore a ghost when she talks directly to you!" Skywarp spoke with a trembling voice, then turned to the device. "What should we do then?" He asked it.

*"Put it back."* The answer came through, loud and clear, and the seekers exchanged glances.

"What about you?" Warp asked.

*"Smash it."*

With that, the tension passed, and the energy that had permeated the room dispersed.

"Sunbeam! Hello?" Warp spoke to the device, but received no answer. The seeker ghost was gone.

. . .

It had been a long time since Optimus Prime had woken up with another mech in his berth. Sensing that Prime had woken up, Bumblebee sighed happily, and snuggled closer. It had been a long time since Optimus had woken up next to someone, and he was so very glad that he had.

"Good morning, Bee." He called out in the artificial light.

"Mm... Morning." The little yellow mech answered with a yawn.

"Ah yes, now that we're all awake," A voice called out from the other side of the room. "Would you two give me some room to sleep on my own berth!" Ratchet exclaimed, bristling. Optimus jumped to his feet, heat rushing behind his faceplates.

"I'm sorry, Ratchet. I must have overslept. Forgive me."

"Ah, well, it's understandable, I suppose." The medic smiled, to show there were no hard feelings. Bumblebee blearily rolled out of bed and awkwardly smiled.

"Sorry Ratchet." The yellow mech apologized.

"Pfft." The medic rolled his optics, shooing him out the door. When he was alone with Optimus, Ratchet became serious.

"I know what you're going to say, old friend." Prime began. "I shouldn't be pursuing a personal relationship while I try to keep the peace on this mission."

"Actually," Ratchet cut him off. "As your doctor, I'm glad you finally found someone to love. This mission is the best time for it, by far. The only threat is a riot, and the chances of that are low."

The medic smirked. "You can afford to be a little sleepy and distracted."

"Thank you." Optimus answered, optics flickering with the emotion. "I have admired Bumblebee for a long time, and when I finally got the courage to confess, he surprised me by admitting he felt the same way."

"Who wouldn't?" The medic chided. "Everyone admires you, Optimus."

"You don't think that's all it is, do you? Admiration?" The Autobot leader gasped, second guessing himself again.

"Pfft. Of course not. You're over-thinking things. Just enjoy being with him and go with the flow."

Optimus nodded, and with a final smile to his friend, left the room. As soon as the leader was gone, Ratchet's shoulders fell. Everyone admired Optimus Prime, and no one more than the Autobot medic. Silently, he still wished Optimus had chosen HIM.

. . .

In the control room, low music played, and Jazz had his feet propped up on the control panel, careful not to bump into any buttons. He was humming softly to the music from the radio, and his mind was occupied by thoughts of a certain Decepticon boom box. Soundwave was an enemy, and Lazerbeak had foiled Autobot plans on so many occasions it wasn't even funny. And yet, the Decepticon wasn't a sparkless killing machine like Jazz had assumed. He had a family, a family that he cared about, and wanted the best for. It was perplexing.

"Uh, is this place occupied?" Skyfire called from the doorway.

"Nah, man. If you can fit, you can chill in here." Jazz replied, watching closely as Skyfire stooped to get through the door.

"Thank you, Jazz." The plane smiled, and turned toward the window. "It's very peaceful up here."

"You got that right. It's why I like it up here. It's nice and quiet, and I can play my music without being bothered."

"Am I bothering you?" Skyfire asked, kind as always.

"Nah, I was actually just in the mood for some company." Although, he was hoping it would be Soundwave hovering at the door.

"Good. I wouldn't want to intrude." The tall mech sat cross legged on the floor, and even then, his head wasn't far from the ceiling.

"So what brings you to the Jazz Lounge, cat?"

"I was just thinking about how quiet everything is. We haven't heard any commotion since the blackout. It's almost like everyone has finally settled down. Ratchet left the medbay, so I decided to come search for other mechs, if only to reassure myself that I wasn't alone."

"It's startin' to feel like the Ark in here." Jazz muttered.

"The ship you used to pursue the Decepticons to Earth?"

"Nah man, I'm talking about the human myth of Noah. He's this old bearded cat who gathered two of every kind of animal, so they could repopulate the Earth after a huge flood."

"Oh." Skyfire paused a moment, then his optics lit up with understanding. "Oh! And you were reminded of this story because of how everyone seems to be pairing up together."

"Yeah. I know it's just rumors, but it seems like everyone on this ship has someone else to chill with, you know? And I mean, I don't mind being alone with my tunes, but... A mech can't help but feel a little jealous."

"What about Soundwave?" Skyfire asked, and Jazz almost fell out of his seat.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, a bit too defensive.

"You two seem to spend a lot of time together, is all."

"Nah." Jazz stared back out into the stars. "He just lets me use the control room. He doesn't even like my music. We don't have anything in common." Not to mention, they were mortal enemies.

"Well, that's what dates are for, finding out more about each other. You may have more in common than you know!"

"I don't want to get too close. He's still an enemy, y'know?" Jazz replied, still staring vacantly off into the distance. It would compromise him if he ever got too close, and it came down to blaster fire.

"True." Skyfire sighed deeply. "I long for the day when we can stop fighting, and see each other as more than just Autobots and Decepticons."

That said, Skyfire rose to an awkward crouch, and wished Jazz a good day, before bending to get through the door. No sooner did he leave, then Soundwave entered the room. Jazz purposely turned away, staring out the window, as he had done for the past three hours.

"Greetings, Jazz." The metallic voice called out.

"Ah, good morning, Decepticon cat."

Soundwave smiled behind his mask, remembering past conversations. "This designation is true. I am a Decepticon, and I am also 'cool', and 'hip'. Thank you for the compliment." he exclaimed, causing Jazz to choke back laughter.

"Did I say something funny?" Soundwave asked earnestly.

"No, no," Jazz coughed out. "It just seems funny to me, 'cause I didn't expect you to pick up on my lingo so quickly."

"I am both pleased and confused. I think that this is the result of many of our interactions."

"Well..." Jazz began, taking a deep breath. "Why don't I show you something simple?" He rose from his seat as the soft sounds of music filtered through the room. He locked hands with Soundwave, and leaned close, speaking his next words in a near whisper.

"Let me show you how humans dance."

They swayed in time to the music. Soundwave looked up at Jazz (who was just a tad taller) with wide optics, but didn't protest as the Autobot led him in a swirling waltz around the room. They danced close, and Soundwave dimmed his optics, eventually resting his head on Jazz's shoulder. Despite what he said to Skyfire, despite what he told himself at night, Jazz was falling head over heels. For the enemy.

. . .

"We have to put it back." Thundercracker announced, to the room as a whole.

"But... she told us to smash it." Skywarp muttered.

"The thing ALSO told us to put it back." Starscream added.

"Maybe we should put it back for now... And smash it when we get home?" The blue seeker offered.

"That's good!" Skywarp agreed. "She can bring us home, and then we'll free her spark for good!"

"Megatron won't like us destroying the warp capacities of this ship." Starscream noted.

"We'll just have to do it without his knowing." Thundercracker stated firmly, and the other two nodded, silently agreeing.

The trine made their way to the cargo hold, and stopped in front of the now-patched up hole in the wall. Thundercracker pulled out a welder he had brought along, and nodded to Skywarp, who began to use his laser guns to cut the panel again.

"Be careful, you two!" Starscream hissed under his breath. "We have to make it look exactly as we found it!"

"Don't worry Screamer," Warp said between his teeth as he concentrated on the task at hand. "We'll just pop it back in, and no one will be the wiser."

"Well well..." A voice called from behind stacked crates and energon cubes. Starscream stiffened, for it was a voice he knew well.

"It seems the band of traitors has returned to the scene of the crime." Megatron stated evenly as he stepped out from the shadows.

"It's not what you think!" Thundercracker shouted, as Skywarp finished the cut, and popped out the wall panel.

"Oh, so you AREN'T going hunting for more seeker parts, or sabotaging the ship?" Megatron growled. "It was laughably easy to find out who caused that blackout the other night."

Thundercracker and Skywarp glanced at each other guiltily, while Starscream crossed his arms, confident in his convictions.

. . .

As they danced, gazing at each other like the only two mechs in the world, Jazz brushed against the control panel, accidentally flipping a switch. The artificial gravity cut off, and the two found themselves floating above the floor. Soundwave's optics lit up, and he glanced down at the control panel in shock.

"Leave it." Jazz smiled. "When will we get another chance to dance in mid air?"

. . .

When the gravity shut off, Optimus and Bumblebee were sitting in the conference room, drinking their morning energon rations. The cube they had been drinking from was thrown into the air, its contents spinning around the room in globules.

"Optimus! Our breakfast!" Bee exclaimed. He kicked off from a wall, and caught one of the spinning orbs in his mouth.

"Good idea!" Optimus commented, doing the same. Soon, they got into a steady rhythm, kicking off from walls, and enjoying the novelty of drinking their energon from the air. When all the pink, faintly glowing liquid was gone - save for a few droplets that refused to be caught - Bumblebee jumped off from the wall, and clunked into Prime's chest. They floated like that, embracing each other, when Optimus finally spoke.

"All these accidents are disconcerting. First the navigation, then the lights, now the gravity? I worry sometimes, that this ship will not make it to the next solar system, much less back to Earth."

"I know." Bee whispered, hugging Optimus close. "At least the lights were easily fixed. Maybe the gravity will be too."

"Besides," the little yellow mech added. "If it can't be fixed, I can be perfectly happy, just floating here with you, for as long as it takes."

Optimus smiled warmly, his spark surging with love for this wonderful mech, who turned the most disastrous situations into something he could smile at. That was Bumblebee's special talent, it seemed, being able to see the good in everything.

"My ray of sunshine, my sunbeam." Optimus practically purred. "You shine so brightly, that you could power this ship, just by smiling at it."

"If only." Bee replied, planting his lips to Prime's forehead.

. . .

Megatron made the first move. With a glare, he strode toward the trine, and would have reached them, had the gravity not chosen that exact moment to cut off. All four Decepticons flew into the air, limbs flailing about as they tried to steady themselves.

"What did you do now!?" Megatron shouted, and Skywarp shook his head frantically.

"Nothing! I think..."

"We were putting the warp junction BACK, you buffoon!" Starscream shouted right back.

"What!?" Megatron asked, incredulous. "Since when do you three ever fix your mistakes!?"

"Uh, you know the gravity is fragged up, not our aural sensors, right?" Thundercracker muttered sardonically from the corner.

"If we didn't put it back, that slimy Autobot medic would have gotten his hands on it!" Starscream added with an indignant huff. "We were only thinking of what was best for the ship."

He didn't mention that they still thought about smashing it when the journey was over.

"I'm... impressed." Megatron nodded to himself. "I underestimated you once again, Starscream."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Skywarp." The air commander answered haughtily, while secretly basking in the praise.

"Thank you, Skywarp." Megatron flashed a rare smile at him, and the purple seeker grinned, wings fluttering happily. While the two were distracted, Starscream made his way to a wall, and pushed off, slamming into the silver mech like a freight train. He pressed his lips to Megatron's mouth in a crushing kiss, and the momentum carried them to the far wall.

"Thank you for trusting us." He smirked.

"For the first time, Starscream, you give me reason to. I trust you won't betray the faith I place in you." Megatron whispered, lips brushing the air commander's neck.

. . .

In the control room, Soundwave and Jazz finally finished their dance, and kicked their way over to the control panel. The masked mech knew which switch to flip, and with a FWUMP, the gravity kicked back on.

Prime and Bumblebee fell onto the conference table.

Skywarp and Thundercracker fell onto each other.

Megatron and Starscream fell into a pile of shattered crates and energon cubes that had been broken when the gravity came back on.

"See?" Jazz whispered. "No harm done."

Meanwhile, Starscream stared at the wreckage around him, and below him, and sighed deeply. There was really only one thing to say.

"We are so fragged." he whispered.


	8. Come Hell or High Water

Summary: The Solaris crew must deal with the consequences of the Zero-G incident, and that means that Jazz and Soundwave's burgeoning relationship is cast into question. With energon rations running low, tensions run high, and the temporary peace evaporates into suspicion and chaos.

. . .

"Why is it that every time something goes wrong, you three are right in the middle of it?" Ratchet asked suspiciously, glaring at the seekers, who were still picking energon cube fragments from their chassis. The entire ship had gathered in the loading docks, yet again, to discuss what had just transpired.

"Excuse me, oh wise one, but who was it that trapped us out here in dead space anyway!?" Starscream pointed an accusing finger at the medic, satisfied in his comeback.

"I can vouch for them. We were all in the cargo bay when the gravity shut down, and the cubes were shattered in the fall." Megatron spoke up, fixing the medic with a steady gaze.

"And... just what were you doing in the cargo hold anyway...?" Jazz asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

"None of your business, Autobot!" Skywarp glared right back.

"Besides," Thundercracker added. "We didn't cause the gravity to go out. Someone else did."

Jazz and Soundwave exchanged a look, but kept their mouths shut.

"Jazz... What exactly happened?" Optimus asked severely, and the car couldn't help but fess up under the serious gaze.

"I'm sorry Prime! I had no idea of the damage it would do when I bumped that switch! I should have put it back right away!"

"And why didn't you?" Optimus asked, but Soundwave answered first.

"Answer: We were dancing." He said, in a low, monotone voice.

"Dancing!?" Megatron repeated, incredulous. "Over half our energon supplies are destroyed because you were DANCING!?"

"Hey! Let off him!" Jazz shouted, stepping in front of a thoroughly chastised Soundwave. "We're in a truce, right? What do you care if I dance with him?"

"It's about making the hard choices. We may be in a truce, but this war isn't over." Megatron replied in a growl, as he leaned intimidatingly over Jazz. "You wouldn't know about that, would you, puny Autobot?"

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Bumblebee exclaimed, and leaped at Megatron like a yellow torpedo. The silver mech was pushed backwards into a wall, and Bee balled his fists, ready for a fight. They were all too low on energon to use their blasters recklessly, but fist fights weren't out of the question.

"Bumblebee! Stop!" Optimus called out, and it was the only thing that gave the little yellow mech hesitation, and that was the only opening Megatron needed to land the first blow. He swung a fist at Bumblebee, knocking him aside, and stood to his feet.

"Think you can take me, little Autobot?" Megatron laughed, cracking his neck. "Let me show you how a Decepticon fights!"

Optimus jumped between the two mechs, hands raised in a gesture of truce. "Stop! Both of you! We must share this ship until we return home!"

"Must we?" Starscream purred. "I see this as a singular opportunity to lighten our load AND double our energon supply!"

"Yeah!" Thundercracker called out. "Let's take em' down, Megatron!"

"Grr... No." The silver mech finally spat, straightening from his battle stance. "We are evenly matched in this respect. If we tried to assume control of the vessel, it would not be without great casualty. And I care too much about my crew to risk that."

The tension eased a bit, as the seekers reluctantly stood down, and Soundwave visibly relaxed.

"So what do we do now, Megatron?" Starscream practically whined, as he saw the future - his family's future - and shuddered at the face of oblivion.

"The same thing we have done since we first boarded this damned vessel." Megatron hissed. "We watch, and we wait."

"Agreed." Optimus spoke, as he went to Bumblebee, who was just getting to his feet.

"But from now on, no more fraternizing with the enemy!" Megatron glared purposefully at Soundwave, who hung his head, and left Jazz's side, to the left side of the hangar, where the Decepticons had gathered.

"Understood." The masked bot answered quietly.

With a signal, the Decepticon leader left the room, and his troops followed. Optimus looked warily towards his own crew.

"Are you alright, Bumblebee?" He asked the little yellow mech, who nodded in reply.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Barely scuffed my paint job!"

Prime directed his next question to Ratchet. "Do you think we can trust them?" He asked quietly.

"Not as far as I could throw them, Optimus." The medic replied bitterly. "I think Megatron will probably hold true to his promise not to face us in head-on combat. As for nasty, underhanded tactics... Who's to say?"

"Ah, and knowing Starscream, he'll watch out for number one, and put his trine a close second." Skyfire noted.

Optimus took in his crew's opinions, and then he turned to Jazz. "Do you think Soundwave would attack you, if it came down to battle?" Prime asked, in a severe tone.

"No." Jazz replied. "I mean, we shared a moment, you know? I think if we were back on Earth, back in the warzone, it would be different. But not here."

"I hate to be the one to tell you Jazz," Bumblebee murmured. "But it looks like the warzone just came to US."

. . .

"Status report." Megatron growled, in the conference room.

"Energon supplies halved. Any more dilution will defeat the purpose." Soundwave sighed, a rare show of emotion from him. "... Even with further rationing, we will not survive to the next star system. Unless something changes, we will run out of energon far before we reach our destination."

"Alright." Megatron nearly whispered. "I will convince Prime to put his crew on quarter rations, and we will do the same."

"Hey!" Skywarp exclaimed. "We're already too weak to use our guns! If we go to quartered rations, we... we..."

"Won't even be able to transform..." Thundercracker finished the thought, and looked at their leader expectantly, as if he had the answers.

"I know." Megatron sighed. "It grieves me to do it to you, but I see no other choice."

"We could throw those worthless Autobots off the damn ship!" Starscream screeched. "If I were leader, I would have done it already! If I wer-"

He was cut off, as Megatron pressed his lips against the seeker's mouth. Here, for the first time, in front of everyone, Megatron was showing his love for his second. Showing the whole Decepticon crew what they were to each other.

"Hush." The silver mech whispered. "I need to think."

To anyone else, it seemed like Screamer was making idle threats and envious jabs, but Megatron knew his second, and knew that Starscream only ranted like this when he felt powerless, and by extension, in need of someone to blame.

"Well, this ship is so close that I don't think we could succeed if we tried to pick them off in their sleep. Even if I COULD warp." Skywarp noted.

"And we don't stand a chance in one on one combat..." Megatron muttered.

"Our only choice is to wait and hope." Thundercracker sighed quietly.

"And make our peace with the matrix." Soundwave added, more fatalistically than anyone had ever heard him.

. . .

Back in their shared quarters, Jazz looked at Bumblebee with a smile. Even after the shattering news they'd just heard, even after being punched into a wall, Bumblebee still seemed positive. Jazz was playing music out of his speakers, and the little yellow mech was practicing dance moves he'd seen on Earth.

"Why are you still so happy?" Jazz asked. The smile was contagious.

"Because I don't think about the future." Bee replied "I only think about today, and tomorrow. The only thing that's changed is that we now have to keep a closer eye on the Decepticons."

"That's true, I guess." Jazz couldn't keep the smile on his face, when he thought that even TODAY, he couldn't see Soundwave. They would never dance among the stars again.

"Sometimes, the sadness creeps in, but I force it out, with dancing, or by thinking about things that make me happy." Bumblebee added, as he pulled off a complicated breakdancing move he'd seen in the city.

"Like Optimus?" Jazz teased, and enjoyed a hearty laugh when Bee tripped in surprise. "I'll take that as a yes."

"I don't know how to explain it, Jazz." Bee sighed happily, and reclined against the wall. "It's like, all this time, I thought Optimus was this beautiful, unobtainable mech. He seemed perfect, you know?" Bumblebee smiled and his optics dimmed as he recalled the joy they'd shared in the past week.

"But he isn't perfect, Jazz. He's just a mech, just like you or me, and he LOVES me. That wonderful, kind and handsome, funny mech loves ME."

Jazz was reminded of another mech. He had thought Soundwave was emotionless, sparkless, a mere puppet for Decepticon evil. But that wasn't true either. Soundwave was just a mech. A handsome, clever mech, with a family he cared about. For the hundredth time that day, Jazz found himself wishing that Soundwave was an Autobot.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. What if Soundwave WAS an Autobot? Jazz began to formulate a plan. This plan began with sneaking out to see Soundwave, and ended with converting him to their side.

. . .

"I don't know what to do, Skyfire." Ratchet muttered.

"I don't either." Skyfire answered serenely. "But I know that it will be alright. I was frozen for thousands of years, remember? I came back to a world where Cybertron was abandoned, and my best friend was an enemy."

"This is different. We're talking about life or death here!"

"Death is not much different from stasis, my friend." Skyfire replied right back.

"Wait-" Ratchet paused, and Skyfire could practically sense the gears turning in the medic's cranial dome. Suddenly, Ratchet gasped, and wrapped Skyfire's waist in an embrace.

"You're a genius, Fire! Of course!" Ratchet laughed. "Oh Skyfire! I could just kiss you!"

"I... wouldn't be opposed to that." Skyfire smiled, and leaned down. Ratchet pressed his lips firmly to the plane's cheek, before laughing again, and racing off to see Prime, who was even now, meeting with Megatron to determine their crew's fates.

Skyfire touched his cheek, smiling happily as always, and watched Ratchet leave. He so enjoyed their time in the med bay together.

. . .

"I agree to go on quarter rations. It will be hard, but that's the least amount of energon we can use to keep life support running." Optimus sighed deeply, and Megatron glowered, not at Prime, but at the position they were now in.

"I'm sorry." Optimus whispered. "I wish there was another way."

"I feel the same. Never before, have I met a mech so brave in the face of oblivion, and I regret that we spent our lives as enemies." Megatron looked away, then looked back to Prime, meeting his eyes with an even gaze. "If we had lived a different life... perhaps we might have even been friends."

Optimus smiled behind his mask, but Megatron knew by the way his optics sparkled. They both had mechs they loved now, but in another life? They could have ruled Cybertron, together.

"Optimus Prime!" Ratchet exclaimed, as he burst through the door. "I have an idea!"

"This had better be good, Autobot." Megatron snarled, as the moment he shared with Optimus, faded into obscurity.

"I was talking with Skyfire, and we came up with a plan! A plan that could save us."

"By all means, Ratchet, elaborate." Prime encouraged, eagerly leaning forward in his chair.

"We go into stasis when we run out of energon, like we did in the Ark! But this time, we'll hotwire the ship to wake us when something changes, when we arrive at the star system!"

"That seems almost too easy, old friend..." Prime noted, trying not to get his hopes up.

"Well there's one snag." Ratchet admitted. "I have no idea how to wake the whole crew at once, but if we got a mech everyone trusts, to wake up first, he could go through the ship, and manually wake everyone else."

"My crew would never trust him." Megatron and Optimus exclaimed at the same time, pointing at each other in turn.

"Then our task, gentlemechs... Is to use the time we have, to elect a trustworthy mech for the job. Someone that BOTH sides will trust enough to wake them from their sleep." Ratchet finished, satisfied that he had gotten the plan across.

"Oh, just that?" Megatron laughed bitterly. "Convince a ship full of bitter enemies to trust someone with their lives? How hard could it be?"


	9. Forgiveness, Redemption

Summary: On the brink of total stasis, the Solaris crew scramble to find someone they can trust with their lives. Jazz and Soundwave reunite, and form their own alliance. Out of the chaos, can a hero emerge? Is there anyone who can save the Solaris from destruction?

. . .

"So." Optimus addressed a room full of Autobots, after Ratchet had just explained the plan. "Who do we trust to wake us, when the time comes?"

"You, of course!" Bumblebee offered.

"While I am the obvious first choice for many of you, it cannot be so." Prime replied. "We need someone who is trusted by both Autobots AND Decepticons."

"There ain't nobody like that in the known universe, much less the Solaris!" Jazz exclaimed.

"I'm sorry to admit it, Optimus, but I can't think of ANY Decepticon I would call trustworthy." Ratchet commented.

"The only one I could trust is Starscream." Skyfire began. "And even then... I'm not sure."

"His own LEADER doesn't trust him." Bumblebee snorted, and was met with murmurs of agreement from the other Autobots."

"I might trust Soundwave." Jazz mentioned, and was faced with accusing stares from the others.

"That creepy mech? Seriously?" Bee retorted.

"How do we know he won't turn on you? Who can tell?" Ratchet exclaimed.

Jazz wanted to add that by the time he was done, Soundwave would be on THEIR side, but he decided it best to keep his plans a secret for now.

"What about Skywarp?" Skyfire mentioned. "Bumblebee, you spoke with him once, right? Could he trust you?"

"Nah. The only thing I got out of him was that he was loyal to his trine."

Optimus sighed, as he looked at his crew, bickering and debating amongst themselves. The operation was going exactly as he'd predicted, and the results weren't good. He knew that at this very moment, the Decepticons were having a similar argument in the conference room, and Prime wondered if they were having an easier time of it.

. . .

"I nominate myself, to be the one who awakens first. Who better than me? I bet Skyfire is working, even now, to convince those Auto-fools of my good intentions." Starscream purred in his Vosian politician's voice, and was met with scattered laughter.

"Yeah!" Frenzy laughed. "Megatron is still sleeping! I, Starscream now lead the Decepticons!" The cassette mimicked, and while the seeker bristled, he had to admit that his chances of being elected were slim.

"... Suggestion: Jazz?" Soundwave offered, and was met with glares, from all but Rumble and Frenzy.

"That fool?" Megatron rolled his optics. "He's the reason our energon is gone. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have to make this decision in the first place."

"How do we know he didn't plan it this way, anyhow?" Starscream muttered. "If he wasn't so dumb, I'd say he was behind the whole thing!"

No one really believed that Jazz had caused this, but no one was trusting him with their lives any time soon.

"There's one Autobot I'd *never* trust for the job: Ratchet." Skywarp noted, remembering the callous way he'd handled the warp junction.

"Yeah. He knocked us out here in open space, who's to say he won't frag up the revival process!" Thundercracker patted his trinemate on the shoulder.

"That brings up a good point!" Rumble exclaimed. "We need someone who knows how to wake us up! Who knows what to do, if anything goes wrong!"

"Who among us knows anything about that?" Megatron asked.

"Analysis: Skyfire was in stasis for thousands of years. Chances that he has insights into the process... Likely?" Soundwave offered. Everyone turned to Starscream, the only mech who knew what Skyfire might do.

"No way." The air commander hissed, hurt blazing in his optics like a beacon. "I would rather stab him in the back than trust him with our lives."

. . .

When the Autobot meeting dispersed, Jazz snuck past Skyfire, who had remained in the hangar, and crept through the hall of Decepticon berth rooms. If his understanding was correct, Soundwave's room was at the end of the hall, as he needed the most space for his family to sprawl out. Sure enough, when he opened the door, Ravage leaped off the bed and growled at the intrusion.

"It's just me, Ravage! Chill out, man!" Jazz called into the dark room.

Ravage remembered being told that he could no longer be friends with Jazz. But he also remembered his master's sadness when he made the announcement, and concluded that it was an order from Megatron, not Soundwave himself. Ravage let the Autobot inside.

"Hey guys! How are ya?" Jazz scratched Ravage's head, and called out for Laserbeak. With a caw, the robotic bird flew over, and landed on the Autobot's arm.

"I have a message for Soundwave. Can you deliver it for me?" He asked. The bird nodded its head and started recording.

"Listen, Soundwave. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what happened, and the trouble I caused. But I'm NOT giving up on you, and if you feel the same, meet me in the cargo hold tonight."

Laserbeak clicked off his recorder, and cawed to show he had gotten the message.

"Good job." Jazz praised the bird, who took off back to his makeshift nest on Soundwave's desk. "Make sure to tell him, okay?"

Laserbeak cawed in answer. After another pat of Ravage's head, Jazz escaped the room and snuck back to his berth in silence.

. . .

After the Decepticon meeting adjourned, Thundercracker went up to the control room. He wanted to think, alone. When Starscream knocked at the doorway, he decided that it might be better to bounce ideas off of his trinemate anyway.

"What are you doing up here?" The air commander asked, glancing at the control panel that had caused so many of their problems.

"I just needed a place to think. All of this almost-dying stuff is really getting to me. I think I'm having a mid-life crisis."

"Pfft, you mean worrying about your future, and having a legacy?" Starscream teased. He was surprised when Thundercracker nodded.

"Yes." The blue seeker glanced out the window, at the billions of stars that seemed so close, yet were thousands of light years away.

"There... isn't much you can do about it now." Starscream sighed. "We only have a few days now, before we go into stasis."

"That's where you're wrong." Thundercracker spoke, and fixed Starscream with a serious gaze. "I can make damn well sure, that no matter what happens, the mech I love will know that I love him."

"You mean Skywarp." Starscream smiled, his vision blurring at the edges. Through the trine bond, he could feel their love. He could FEEL how much Thundercracker NEEDED Skywarp to know he loved him. "I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah, well don't tell anybody, okay? I want it to be a surprise. The only thing, is trying to come up with a gift. What gift could I give, that would shine as brightly as he does?"

"Whatever you decide, I'm sure he'll love it." Screamer smiled, and pulled Thundercracker into a close embrace. "Just don't forget about me, okay?"

Thundercracker felt his hesitation through the bond, like a wavering stream of energon.

"I couldn't if I wanted to." The blue seeker planted a light kiss on Starscream's head. "No matter what happens between you and Megatron, or between me and Skywarp... You will always be a part of us."

"Forever." Starscream smiled.

"Forever." Thundercracker smiled in return, and suddenly, he knew what the gift should be, the only gift that would work.

. . .

Soundwave had gotten the message loud and clear, and his optics brightened at the thought of it. Jazz still cared about him. The friendly Autobot who lent him silly music, and cared about his cassettes.

"Well?" Rumble asked impatiently. "You gonna go, or what?"

"I will go, if only because our current problem requires a new perspective."

"Yeah right!" Frenzy laughed. "You like him!"

"You like him! You like him!" Rumble echoed, pounding the floor for emphasis.

"Be quiet!" Soundwave hissed. "Go to bed, alright? I shall return soon."

He made his way quietly through the hall, and slipped past a sleeping Skyfire. Being sneaky was always an advantage, and Soundwave was sneaky as they came. When he entered the cargo hold, he called out a greeting, and Jazz emerged from behind a stack of crates, beckoning him to follow.

"It's good to see ya." Jazz smiled, and Soundwave nodded.

"I agree. It was a great risk to come here."

"And yet you did. Thanks." Jazz became serious, as he brought up the matter at hand. "I'm guessing Megatron told you about the stasis plan."

"Yes. We have no candidate." Soundwave noted.

"Neither do we." Jazz replied, ashamed at the Autobots' indecision.

"We must have someone who can understand and remember the process."

"Right." Jazz agreed. "And it has to be someone kind, who doesn't have a hatred towards Decepticons. You know what I'm thinking?"

"Skyfire." Soundwave replied. "We thought of that too, but I think Starscream has turned opinions against him. He is persuasive."

"Well, we just have to argue in his favor, in front of everyone. We don't have to convince them all, just Prime and Megatron. If they make a decision, the others will follow."

"That is logical." Soundwave concluded. "And if we come up with the solution, we might redeem ourselves in the eyes of our leaders." He added.

"Right!" Jazz announced. "It's settled then. We have to elect Skyfire, and get Optimus and Megatron's vote! If we get back in their good graces, we might be able to see each other again. Unless you want to come over to our side?" Jazz offered, hopeful.

"No." Soundwave promptly answered. "I call myself a Decepticon, because I wish to remember how the council of Cybertron deceived us. I would die for this cause."

"... And I would follow Optimus Prime into oblivion, if I had to." Jazz replied. For a few moments, the two looked at each other, and saw a future where they could one day be more than enemies.

"When Cybertron is free, my friend." Soundwave said, optics brightening at the thought. "We will all be free."


	10. Til All Are One

Summary: Time is running out. Will Thundercracker propose to Skywarp? Can Jazz and Soundwave convince their leaders to elect Skyfire as the one to save them all? Can Starscream look past his history to forgive him?

. . .

Skywarp paced back and forth, full of nervous energy. He glanced at Starscream, who was reclined on the berth, turning his holocube as Vos shimmered in the artificial light.

"TC has been gone a lot, lately." Warp muttered, mostly to himself.

"He needs time to himself. Making peace or whatever." Starscream replied without looking, optics dim.

"Are you sure? He's not gonna do anything crazy, is he?" Skywarp asked, anxiety lacing his voice.

"Yes, I'm sure. He loves us, and you especially. He wouldn't do anything weird."

"How do you know?"

"He told me." Starscream replied.

"No way. He told you and not me? We tell each other everything!"

Starscream frowned. He had to figure out a way to calm Warp down without revealing the surprise.

"Listen, it's not like that! Stop running your energon down with that incessant pacing!"

Screamer was running out of ideas, when the door opened, and Thundercracker himself walked through the door.

"What's going on in here?" He asked incredulously, as Warp wrapped him in a hug, and Starscream huffed.

"Warp thinks you've forgotten about us. Please tell him he's blown a gasket, if he thinks you don't love him."

Thundercracker smiled, and kissed Skywarp's forehead.

"I love you more than I ever have." The blue seeker whispered.

"Then why do you keep leaving? We don't have much time left, and I want to spend every last moment with you..." Warp trembled, and his voice shook with anxiety. They still hadn't chosen a representative yet, and there was much to be nervous about.

"It's almost time for the big meeting." Starscream interrupted, subspacing his precious holocube.

"I promise, Warp. I'll explain everything tonight." Thundercracker spoke calmly, and Skywarp was comforted a little. He nodded, and the three made their way to the loading dock.

In the hangar/medbay that had become the de facto meeting place, Optimus and Megatron stood side by side, and met the assembly of the crews, ready to take the vote that would determine their fates.

"Before we begin, does anyone have any ideas?" Optimus called out to the room at large.

"I do." Jazz spoke up, and went to the front of the room. "I nominate Skyfire. He's been in and out of stasis before, and as a scientist, he could easily learn the process."

"Also," Soundwave spoke up. "He is a pacifist who prefers not to fight. He does not hate Decepticons, and even trusts Starscream."

"I said it once, and I'll say it again." The Decepticon air commander snarled. "I'd rather die than trust that plane!"

"You might just have that choice, Starscream." Megatron said quietly. "I see no reason why we *shouldn't* elect Skyfire."

"The Autobots trust him." Optimus added.

"All the more reason we shouldn't." Starscream muttered.

"Your personal history with me should *not* weigh on your decision, Starscream." Skyfire spoke, weighing in for the first time. "I trusted you with my life once. I'm not the one who's changed."

"You *have* changed!" Starscream shouted back. "You care more about the lives of local vermin than you do about your own kind! You betrayed me!"

Skyfire was taken aback by Starscream's comment, but took a deep breath and replied anyway.

"I care for all life forms, no matter how primitive or intelligent. That is why I will NOT harm you, or any Decepticon."

Starscream meant to show that Skyfire was the wrong choice, but he accidentally gave the scientist the perfect alibi.

"I have observed his frequent absence in combat, and I believe he speaks the truth." Megatron weighed in. "Yes, I could trust Skyfire with my awakening."

"If Megatron believes Skyfire will do the job, I trust him." Thundercracker was the first to speak. Starscream glared at him.

"You'd believe him-" He jabbed a finger at Skyfire. "Over me!?"

"Listen to me, Starscream." Megatron spoke in a low, even voice, and put both hands on his second's shoulders. "I want to give you. Us. The best chance of survival, and right now, that's Skyfire. You can return to plotting his demise after we're safe."

Starscream looked deeply into Megatron's optics, and then glanced back at Skyfire, and finally, he shut his mouth, wings drooped in defeat. He could agree, but he wouldn't have to *enjoy* it.

"Does anyone have any other protests?" Optimus called out. Mechs looked at each other, and then back to the leaders.

"I accept your vote of confidence." Skyfire began, "But I do not know how to revive a mech in stasis."

"I can teach you." Ratchet answered. "All you have to do is find the mech's universal reboot switch, and place an energon cube in proximity.

"I can show you where the switch is, on seekers of our design." Thundercracker noted.

"Oh, and I can show you mine!" Bumblebee exclaimed.

"Wake me first, and I will revive my underlings." Soundwave chimed in.

"Speaking of that..." Jazz added quietly. "I want permission to spend the last few hours with Soundwave."

"Granted." Optimus answered immediately, then turned to face Megatron, an eyebrow raised. The silver mech nodded to Soundwave, who moved to stand next to Jazz, visibly happy, even behind the mask.

"Then it is settled. I wish to spend my last few hours with Bumblebee, so the next time I see your faces, it will be when we have arrived." Optimus spoke, with emotion strong in his voice. Megatron spoke next, and surprised them all with a powerful speech.

"Over the course of this trip, I have had time to think, and reflect. I have recalled the story of how I became a Decepticon, and I am more a Decepticon than I have ever been." Megatron spoke to his own crew, but also to the Solaris at large.

"And yet, I find myself relating to the enemy, seeing things from a new perspective. For the time being, I think I can safely say, that today we are not Autobots and Decepticons. We are the CSC Solaris. And I wish you all Primuspeed until we arrive."

. . .

Jazz put on some music. It was the same tape that had been playing on the day they met, Louis Armstrong and his jazz classics. Rumble and Frenzy had fallen asleep on the berth, and Ravage was curled up next to them, protectively. Laserbeak was asleep in his nest, and was probably the first to slip into the deep sleep of stasis.

"Soundwave: Happy." Soundwave spoke quietly, breaking the silence.

"I know. It's a great soundtrack for the moment. I feel like we chose the devil of stasis over the deep blue sea of oblivion."

"Soundwave; Still pleased."

"Well, our plan worked, and we get to spend this time together. We have nothing to fear now."

"Correct; I am 99% certain that we will awaken in the vicinity of the solar system, in the predicted timeframe."

"That's good enough for me, baby. I'm ready to take a nice long nap." Jazz replied.

"You first call me an Earth quadruped, now I am a human child?"

"Nah, man. It just means I like you. I didn't mean to say it anyway, it just came out." Jazz replied, heat rushing to his faceplates.

"I do not mind. Your knowledge of Earth slang is amusing. I wish to hear more, when we awake." Soundwave answered, and placed his hand over Jazz's, holding it there as they sat braced against the wall, and with a final, deep breath, clicked their systems over to life support.

. . .

"I told you I would explain it. Do you trust me?" Thundercracker asked.

"Of course. I'd trust you with my life." Skywarp answered, nervously hugging his knees on the berth.

"Well, the reason I kept sneaking out these last few days, the real reason, is because I was making this." Thundercracker opened his cockpit, and pulled out a flat, circular object.

It was engraved with concentric circles, and also with the names of two seekers. It was made of polished bronze, and among the deep crevices that made the circles, were lighter etchings of vines and Cybertronian alt-modes, racing through the clouds.

"This? You MADE this?" Skywarp exclaimed, turning the disk in his hands. It seemed that each change in the angle or lighting revealed a new surprise. "Why?"

"Because I want you to know I love you." Thundercracker answered. "This disc is modeled after the ancient warp junction we found, because it symbolizes you, your ancestors, and everything you mean to me."

"T.C..." Skywarp whispered, before pressing his lips to his trinemate's mouth, stunning him into silence. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Starscream actually gave me the idea." Thundercracker admitted. "He said that we would be a trine, that we would be together forever. When he said that, I was reminded of the circles that seemed to ripple out of the warp junction."

"But why now? We've been in love for a long time. Did you think I would forget or something?"

"No... But if something happens, if I don't come out of this... I want you to know that I Iove you more than anything. More than life, or energon, or even my wings. I want to spend my life with you "

"You don't mean..." Skywarp whispered, clutching the disk close.

"No, not now. But after we get out of stasis..." Thundercracker placed both hands on Warp's shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"Will you become my Conjux Endura?"

"I've never wanted anything more." Skywarp smiled, optics bright with emotion. "But... Starscream?"

"I've already gotten his blessing." Thundercracker smiled, and stepped away from Skywarp to recline on the bed. The lavender seeker lay down beside him, cuddling close.

"I can't believe you really made this." Skywarp smiled, holding the disc close to him, as Thundercracker's arms wrapped around him protectively.

"Anything for you, Warp. Anything at all."

. . .

"You are predictably cheerful, Bee." Optimus smiled at his berth mate as he leaned his head against the bigger mech's shoulder.

"I don't have anything to worry about." Bumblebee replied, with a cheerful grin. "We've been under before, it was just a long sleep."

"But before, we had Teletraan to keep us safe. I hope Skyfire is up to the job."

"I don't see why not." Bee hummed a bit of an earth tune. "I think it'll be good. We sleep for a while, collect some energon, then we head back home to Earth. As Spike would say, easy-peasy."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Optimus conceded, and his optics brightened considerably.

"Do you ever think about life after the war?" Bee asked, out of the blue.

"Every day, Bumblebee. I think of a restored Cybertron, perhaps one that even our human friends can live in."

"Wouldn't it be cool to have sparklings again?" Bee smiled happily, imagining. "I'm pretty certain Soundwave's kids were off-planet when he found them, like Eject and Rewind were." the yellow mech mused to himself.

"I agree. Once Cybertron is restored, Alpha Trion will be a valuable asset to us."

"Say, you never actually told me who this mech is!" Bumblebee exclaimed. "I've heard the name before, but I feel like it's something I should know."

"Alpha Trion is the first Autobot." Optimus divulged, smiling a bit as Bumblebee's optics grew large. "He is also my creator."

If a mech's optics could pop right out of the sockets, Optimus would be worried that Bee was getting dangerously close.

"Your creator!? The one who sparked you?" The yellow mech practically bounced on his pedes with anticipation.

"Yes. But he was also the one who forged my frame."

"Ah, so Alpha Trion is a Sparksmith?" Bumblebee had heard stories about the mechs who forged the bodies of sparklings, with a Primus-given talent to know exactly which body a spark needed. It was a rare ability, and one which became almost extinct as the war raged on.

"Not only is Alpha Trion the first Autobot, he is the last Sparksmith." Optimus conceded quietly. After he and Elita-1 had saved the old mech in the battle on Cybertron, he hadn't heard a thing about Trion since. It would be easy to forget about the eccentric Autobot, if not for the fact that he was absolutely necessary for the continuation of their species.

"So as soon as the war is over, Alpha Trion can get back to repopulating Cybertron..." Bumblebee whispered happily. Optimus knew how much the yellow mech loved sparklings, and concluded that Bee would make an excellent parent someday. He hoped they would live long enough to see the end of the war, and have a few of their own.

. . .

"This is ridiculous. Completely ridiculous!" Starscream muttered, pacing the floor of his quarters.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor." Megatron noted from his spot on the berth.

"I'm starting to think that the vacuum of space would be a better alternative to the fate of being double crossed by Skyfire again." the seeker hissed irritably, and Megatron shuttered his optics, trying to rest. There was no reasoning with Starscream in a mood like this. The only option was to wait out the storm, and Megatron could wait forever, if he had to. What the Decepticon leader lacked in patience, he made up for in brute persistence.

"Why don't you come to the berth? It's not like your pacing is helping anything."

"It helps me feel better!" The air commander shrieked, and Megatron let out a long suffering sigh and rose to his pedes.

"That may be true, but it also runs down your already critically low energon levels." Megatron murmured quietly, wrapping his servos around his second's waist, and pulling him close. Taut wings fluttered against a strong torso, and Starscream unconsciously relaxed. Here, he was safe. He would never admit it out loud, but as the two of them bickered in public, they completed each other. Starscream was the manic energy, the inspired strategist and weapons specialist. Megatron was the grounding force, the calm in the storm.

"I hate you." The jet muttered, though he didn't mean it.

"I know." Megatron replied simply. They sank back down onto the berth as their levels reached critical, and non-essential processes began to shut down. "Sleep well, my prince." The warrior rumbled.


	11. Epilogue

Skyfire awoke with a start, jolting out of stasis with all the grace of an electrocuted toaster. He smelled something burning, and realized with horror that it was his left arm. Quickly stamping out the flames, Skyfire pulled out the plugs and removed the nodes that Ratchet had attached to him, and checked his internal chronometer. It had been seven years. Seven whole years had passed in stasis.

The shuttle noted that the energon cube on the floor was slowly refuelling him, and he also noticed that so far, everything was going according to plan. It was, until Skyfire looked out the window. There was the sun! The solar system they'd been looking for! He almost jumped for joy, except for the fact that his frame was too big for the cabin, and the fact that they weren't alone. There, on the other side of the sun, a dark shadow was approaching. Another ship.

It was then that, as Skyfire's fractured thoughts began to come together, his systems onlined again, he noticed an incessant beeping in the back of his audials. A quick glance at the control panel revealed the cause of the disturbance: They were being hailed.

"Hello?" Came the voice of a femme, once Skyfire flipped the speakers on.

"This is Lieutenant Commander Bluestreak of the Autobot vessel Corona. If you don't respond soon, we will have no choice but to board. Please state your name, alliance, and the purpose of your vessel."

"Private Skyfire, Autobot scientist. You won't believe how happy I am to hear your voice!" Skyfire had never met the femme detachment of Autobots, but he knew of them, and knew of Bluestreak and her amazing accuracy.

"Wait, Skyfire? From the Earth Regiment? Wait right there! Let me get Elita!"

And the femme equivalent of a Prime was there too? Was the entire Cybertron base on the Corona? Skyfire breathed in a deep intake, and hoped nothing bad had happened to their planet or Autobot holdings there.

"Hello? Skyfire?" The wise, calming voice of Elita-1 filtered through the speakers, and Skyfire found himself wanting to salute, despite the lack of a view screen. "What are you doing out here in dead space?"

"After a scuffle with the Decepticons, we were trapped on this ship, and set a course for the nearest solar system." Skyfire replied, and all the events of the past few months (years?) fell out of his mouth, like secrets that had been held for far too long. When it was all finished, Elita was quiet, as if she wanted to be sure that was the whole story. Once she finally spoke, it was with comfort and wisdom. Skyfire felt safe with her at the helm.

"While I despise the idea of working with Decepticons, I have to agree with Optimus. He made the right choice to minimize damages and loss of life. As soon as you wake the others from stasis, make sure to let Optimus know we're here. He and I have many things to discuss."


End file.
